Wake Me Up Inside
by animequeen100
Summary: He existed but didn't know what it meant to live, until she woke him up inside and saved him from the nothing he'd become. This is the ballad of Sai and Sakura. PREQUEL to "To Love and to Love Again".
1. Chapter 1

**Wake Me Up Inside: The Ballad of Sai and Sakura**

* * *

**Authors Note**: This story is the Prequel to my other fic "To Love and to Love Again" as Sai and Sakura's story. It's now going to be a two-shot! I hope you enjoy. And I DO NOT own Naruto. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto!

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

He watched through the widow of the CIA hospital as Tsunade and Shizune checked on her vitals. He trusted both of them completely to take care of her, but he was a man destroyed on the inside.

Being the Captain Commander of Japan's CIA was a heavy burden for thirty-three-year-old Hatake Kakashi. The knowledge that an enemy had nearly succeeded in destroying the one person he holds most dear in this world was eating him alive.

"Kakashi Sensei?"

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, noting the presence of several other Junior Agents from the Tokyo branch behind him including Neji Hyuga, his cousin Hinata, Tenten and Ino Yamanaka. All of them looked just as distraught over what had happened as he was.

"She's stable," he said glancing back at the figure lying in the bed. "Tsunade says she'll wake up in a few days."

The others nodded and watched as Kakashi was given the okay by Tsunade to enter the room. They decided to give him his space to visit with her instead of joining him. His demeanor may have been controlled, but they knew he was barely holding on inside.

From the window, they observed him kiss his daughters forehead before taking her limp hand in his and holding onto it for dear life. Her pink hair framed her pillow like a halo, with the only signs of life coming from the slight rise and fall of her chest and breathing mask.

"He should just let me transfer into her school," Naruto said after a moment. "At least a few more of us should be there to protect her from this stuff."

"We can't," Neji replied. "It's too conspicuous to have any more of us transfer in at this point in the game. As much as we'd like too, the Orochimaru Operation is where we're needed."

"Yeah well at least_ I_ should be able to transfer," Ino whispered as she watched her childhood friend cling to life. "I haven't seen her since grade school but even so, someone needs to get into her actual class."

"I should have noticed what was happening," Tenten lamented. "I never suspected any of the students for a second. Stupid mistake."

Naruto shook his head. "It's not your fault Tenten. They didn't assign you to her class so how could you know? At least Asuma got her out before it was too late."

"Which is what he was trained to do," Tsunade said as she exited the room. Shizune followed close behind. "There's nothing you can do just standing here so get back to your training. She'll be fine in a week so until then, just give Kakashi some space."

The Junior Agents nodded before dispersing. Tsunade sighed as she watched them leave. They were a spirited bunch and deeply loyal to Kakashi. They would do anything for him in his time of need.

But this new attempt on her apprentice's life had changed the playing field. Sakura was nearly poisoned in her own school—a daring attempt on the enemy's part—and rushed to the CIA by the undercover Agent assigned to watch over her.

Normal protection just wasn't cutting it. It was time to up their game plan.

* * *

He walked down the darkened halls, having just returned from a reconnaissance mission. Danzo had issued the command not five minutes ago.

Danzo turned in his chair, evaluating the boy with his good eye. He saw only devoid disinterest within the subordinate's black eyes. It was a good sign every time. No words were spoken as Danzo pulled out a single photograph and dropped it on the table before him.

The Agent picked up the photo and studied it.

"This will be slightly different from your previous missions," Danzo began. "You'll be a Sleeper Agent, engaging the target for a said amount of time and only acting when given the signal. When this signal may come is uncertain, which is why it is important that you integrate yourself around the target as often as possible."

The Agent only looked at the photo for a moment, processing every detail about it before putting it away. He nodded to his superior, accepting the single sheet of paper that contained the targets information.

"The daughter of Hatake Kakashi," the Agent stated without a hint of question or interest. He was merely identifying the target, which is exactly what Danzo had sought to accomplish in his Agents.

"An obstacle, if I've ever known one," Danzo muttered. "This is a delicate operation that must be handled with the utmost care. You were chosen because you are close in age—an essential component for this task—which will allow you to follow the target and act as a guard on orders of Hatake Kakashi. You will do so only until we give you the signal to strike. Are we clear?"

He nodded.

"And one more thing," Danzo added, sliding another file in front of him. "For this mission, you will be referred to as "Sai" until it is over."

"Sai" nodded, accepting his orders without question. He turned and left the office, gathering his supplies and preparing for the mission ahead. He tucked the photo in his pocket, having memorized the face of his target. Tomorrow was the day he would later recall as the day that started it all.

Tomorrow was the day he would meet Sakura Haruno.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sixteen-year-old Haruno Sakura sat in her seat with her nose buried deep in a medical journal recently published by her mentor Tsunade. She was on her way to medical school should she manage to pass the aptitude test. She didn't have a big forehead for nothing. Behind said forehead was a brain that absorbed information like a dehydrated sponge.

Their Sensei cleared her throat, indicating that class was starting. Sakura felt a small amount of joy in the mundane start of the day. She had recently recovered from the mother of all flus, having been absent from school for nearly two weeks. Not that it would hinder her academic success, but she was just baffled as to how such an extreme form of the flu had tackled her like that.

She was a healthy person and maintained her well-being diligently. As an aspiring doctor it was a necessity, hence her avid reading of the latest medical news. She was currently trying to figure out how such a disease overcame her when their Sensei made an announcement.

"We have a new student joining us today," she announced, eliciting excitement from the rest of the class. Sakura thought it was interesting, given that one of her classmates, Kin Tsuchi, had recently transferred out while she was sick. She was quick to be replaced. "He comes to us from Tokyo," she added just as the sliding door opened.

Sakura turned her head along with all the other students and felt a shiver go up her spine when her eyes connected squarely with the new student.

He was looking right at her.

"Come on in and introduce yourself to the class," Sensei instructed. Sakura watched as he entered and never broke eye contact with her. She leaned back in her chair as she assessed him.

He was tall and lean, with the palest complexion she had seen in stark contrast to his jet black hair. His eyes, equally black, remained focused on her. Unnerved, she broke eye contact and looked down at her book.

"My name is Arisugaki Sai," he stated, directing his attention to the class. Sakura wasn't alone in her nervousness. The entire class seemed to be on edge by him. "It is customary to say a few words about one's self during an introduction however I have nothing further to share."

Sakura raised her brow at that. "_And a weirdo too"_ she thought. She sighed, deciding to forget about the new student and return to her reading when she had a sudden thought. "_Oh no the only available seat is—"_

"Alright then take a seat next to Sakura," Sensei instructed. "Sakura please raise your—"

"I can see her," Sai interrupted. He could see that the only available seat was next to her, which worked out fine for him. Sai sat at the very back of the class next to the window. He would need to do something about this seating arrangement. Sitting by the window presented too many opportunities for others to get to her.

Sakura shifted as he took his seat beside her. It was only the middle of the year, and so long as Sai didn't get on her nerves, they should be okay. She had a lot on her plate at the moment and didn't need any more distractions.

Class resumed after that, with Sakura paying little to no attention to her seatmate. It suited Sai just fine, as it gave him time to make his initial assessments about his target. She was a diligent student, which was obvious from her mounds of books and studious expression.

Her book bag was filled to capacity, threatening to burst at the seams. It looked heavy, but she lifted it with ease. When class was excused for lunch, Sai discreetly followed her to the library.

Sakura sat in the library, immersed within more medical books. She just didn't seem to understand her previous illness. She turned to check the other shelf and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Sai standing directly behind her.

His palm over her mouth prevented her squeal from escaping.

"Did I startle you?" he asked. Sakura glared at him and shoved his hand away from her mouth.

"What do you think?" she hissed. He gave her an appraising look.

"Your posture indicates surprise," he answered. Sakura rolled her eyes before gathering her books and leaving. She didn't have time for this. When Sai began to follow her, she turned around.

"Did you want something?"

He simply gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes at all. "I wish for us to get better acquainted."

She gave him a guarded look. "Any particular reason why?"

"It is customary to become more familiar with your peers, is it not? Therefore, as seatmates, I see it as a necessity that we get to know one another," he explained.

She looked at him like he had two heads. "Look, I don't get what your deal is," Sakura began. "But I've got a lot going on right now. I don't think we have much in common either way."

She left him there with a curious expression on his face. He looked like he didn't seem to know what to do, which wasn't her problem. She proceeded to ignore him for the rest of the day.

Sai wasn't about to leave her alone though. Orders were orders.

When the school bell rang at the end of the day, Sakura couldn't get away from him fast enough. She kept feeling his eyes on her and turned several times to catch him openly stare at her with that creepy smile of his.

Sai watched her pack up her stuff and discreetly got up to follow her home, memorizing the path she preferred to reach it. Their first meeting was uneventful, but that didn't deter him whatsoever.

For the next two weeks, he devoted his time to studying how better to approach Sakura and simply guarded her from afar. He didn't think this was necessary, but he wasn't one to question his orders.

He thought otherwise when the first incident happened the following afternoon.

Sakura was walking home with a few of her schoolmates. Sai recognized one of them as Tenten from the CIA. Since he had never met the panda-haired girl in person, he knew he would be safe approaching her should he see fit. Since she was a year older than Sakura, they didn't have any of the same classes. His identity wouldn't be compromised. Sai had done a background check on the other girls and concluded that they were no threat to his target.

Even though Sakura Haruno was to die, it still had to be done by the right people at the right time.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," he heard her say before she separated from her group and began to walk across the street.

Like a shadow, he followed her without her knowledge. She was halfway home, when he saw it. The glint of metal hidden in the shrubs caught his eye before he acted.

Quickly and stealthily, he grabbed an apple from the fruit vendor outside the market they just passed and hurled it at her head, making her shout and stumble just enough for the poisoned dart to miss her neck. It embedded itself on a nearby power line. Sai ducked behind that same post and—using the same trajectory of the dart—shot his own gun with a silencer in the direction it came from before disappearing around the corner and out of sight.

As Sakura looked around trying to find the person who assaulted her with the apple, Sai went into the shrubs and located the body. He concluded that there was only one individual and quickly called in the attempt to base before going back to tail Sakura.

He knew the ANBU division of the CIA would remove the body within minutes before anyone else found it.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV**:

When Danzo first approached him with the prospective ANBU Agent, he had his doubts. Sai was as young as his daughter, yet Kakashi of all people knew that age was not what it seemed in terms of maturity and aptitude in the CIA.

And after yet another attempt on Sakura's life, Kakashi was satisfied that this Agent could keep her safe.

"You've proven yourself to me," Kakashi stated to the Agent before him. "I have to admit, I had my reservations about you regardless of your ANBU status and I'm sure you've questioned why you were needed for a task like this. I trust that you now have a better understanding of why it was necessary to place a guard on my daughter."

"It was never my place to question the need for ANBU," Sai replied.

Kakashi gave him an appraising look. ANBU Agents were a breed unlike any other within the agency. As a former ANBU himself, Kakashi was aware of the level of detachment emphasized with regards to missions, but ROOT was a division of the Agency that was so secretive that it was enough to keep Kakashi on his guard. They were so deep in the shadows that Sai's pale skin seemed to be a testament to how much time they really spent underground.

"You wouldn't be human if you didn't question things, consciously or not," he countered. "I say this to you because it's vital that you understand why I go to such lengths for my child's safety. This latest attempt was only one in many that have managed to take place since her birth. My rank here comes with a catch: enemies _can and will_ use my family against me," he said as his eyes gazed at the picture of a small pink haired girl smiling at the camera.

He kept his sight on the photo and continued. "As agents we pride ourselves for having the utmost control of our decisions and our actions, yet the moment you have a child, your center of balance shifts to orbit them. Every move you make is with their best interests at heart."

Sai listened to Kakashi speak, taking note of how much value he placed on his daughter. Sai was unable to understand the significance of Sakura Haruno. She may have been Kakashi's only child, but she was still just one person out of billions on the planet. Her existence would have no effect on life. It correlated with Danzo's teachings about human attachment being a weakness; an example that Sai was seeing firsthand as he watched Kakashi look fondly at a framed picture of Sakura on his desk.

The CIA Commander turned his attention to Sai once again.

"My daughter in my life, Sai," he stated. "And I can't protect her by myself anymore. She's all I have left of her mother… _and I won't let anyone take her away from me,_" he added intensely. "Continue to protect her as you have."

Sai nodded and Kakashi dismissed him. Later that day, he made it home just in time for dinner.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura was in the kitchen getting dinner ready and was still heavily pissed off at getting beaned in the head with a friggin apple. She didn't see who did it, which pissed her off even more. She was stirring the contents of the pot so strongly that her wooden spoon threatened to break in half.

"Stupid jerk," she muttered to herself as she pulled out another piece of apple from her hair. The stupid piece of fruit broke upon impact and left apple chunks in her pink locks.

She heard the dogs stampeded to the front door, which meant that her father must be home. She wiped her hands clean and went to meet him there.

Kakashi looked up from petting the dogs and saw her approach him. Words couldn't describe the feeling he got when he saw his beautiful daughter, safe and sound in her apron and school uniform with a smile on her face.

"Hi Daddy," she greeted with a smile. She looked at him with confusion when he simply stared at her. "What's wrong?"

He marched right up to her and enveloped her in a fierce hug. He wouldn't let her go for five minutes. Sakura sighed and hugged him back. She was used to this by now. Her father was a busy man as the Police Commander of the Kyoto PD and once in a while he would just hug her as if he hadn't seen her in ages. Little did she know this was done whenever she had a close call with death.

Little did she also know that her father was a CIA Agent using the police force as a cover story.

"I really missed you today," he said when he finally let her go.

"You always really miss me," she crooned. "And that's why I always make you your favorite foods when you do show up for dinner."

His mouth salivated when he smelled the aromas of dinner wafting through the house. He also noticed another scent coming from her. "Are you wearing a new perfume? It smells like apples."

Her mood darkened at the thought. "No. Some jerk threw an apple at my head! It smashed into my hair and everything! Must have been some stupid kids," she muttered as they proceeded to have dinner.

Kakashi ate the meal happily and looked at her fondly across the kitchen table. Sakura caught his stare and smiled.

"What is it?" she asked.

He simply smiled back at her before saying "You look so much like your mother. She would be so proud of you if she were here."

Sakura smiled softly. She could only hope her mother would be proud of her. She was following in her footsteps after all. Her father had told her that her mother Rin was next in line to be Tsunade's apprentice in the medical field before she died giving birth.

Sakura inherited her mother's passion and affinity for medicine and vowed to become a brilliant doctor. Tsunade was a close family friend and saw Sakura's potential herself. She advised Sakura to be diligent in her studies, and if she worked hard enough, Tsunade would take her on as an apprentice and pass her wisdom down to her.

"I hope she is proud of me," she replied.

"I know she is," he said thinking of his late wife. Rin had made him promise to keep their baby safe just minutes before he lost her for good. The loss of Rin devastated him to the core, but he made her a vow and nothing would keep him from breaking it.

The ROOT Agent he assigned to Sakura would help him see to it.

* * *

**Sai's POV:**

On his way back, Sai contemplated ways to better protect Sakura from outside threats. The only reason he did this however, was because those other attempts were a hindrance to his own mission, regardless of the end goal being the same.

He had to protect her, so he could kill her. The irony was not lost on him.

The best way to protect her was to get close to her. And so in the weeks following the attempt, he poured over countless books on behaviors expected of the average teenage boy. This lead to the diligent reading of many sexually charged pieces of literature. It seemed that teenage boys were notorious for their flourishing libido.

Sai had noted that Kakashi was an avid reader of Jiraya's erotic novel series and decided that it should suffice as an aid to becoming more like an average teen. Surely somewhere in there would be the method to gaining the attention of a teenage girl.

A few days later, he decided he had studied today's teenage etiquette enough to understand how to approach her. He found her sitting underneath a tree and reading a large textbook.

"Good afternoon Sakura," he greeted as he approached her in the school yard.

Sakura looked up from her book and frowned. Sai was giving her that creepy smile again. She just didn't understand him. "What do you want?"

"I wish to us to be better acquainted… and to compliment you on your body," he said cheerily.

The look in Sakura's eyes changed from annoyed to dangerous. "Come again?"

Sai took note of her demeanor and thought back to his reading. Flattering her body with words and physical gestures seemed to be essential. Providing one with a nickname also appeared to increase attachment.

"You're body appears to be in excellent physical shape for a person your age, which makes it appealing," he stated.

Sakura closed her book and tried to her contain her embarrassment. Sai's words were getting some head turns in the courtyard. In the corner of her eye she could see Tenten approaching them to walk home and pause at his words. Sakura stood up and decided it was better to walk away from this than make a scene.

That didn't stop Sai however. "Overall your body is suitable, regardless of your underdeveloped breasts."

Sakura froze. The vein in her temple began to throb with dangerous intensity.

Tenten stormed right up to them and pointed a finger in Sai's face. "Hey! Who the hell do you think you are? You better apologize if you know what's good for you!" she shouted.

Sai merely shrugged. "I'm merely stating facts."

Sakura turned, ready to unleash her inner temperament on his ass and froze again when she felt something on her chest. Sai's palm had covered her left breast and squeezed. It would be the wrong thing to do.

Sai looked at it appraisingly. "It's actually bigger than it seems—"

"CHAAAAAAAA!"

Her fist came down in righteous fury and collided with his cheek, knocking him off his feet. Sai landed on the ground and held his throbbing face. He came as close to surprise as he was capable. He _severely_ underestimated her strength.

He wasn't the only one as on-looking students stared wide-eyed at Sakura's battle stance.

"Anything else you want to say to me?" Sakura asked menacingly as she hovered over his fallen form and cracked her knuckles.

Sai's cheek throbbed as he thought back to his reading, wondering where he went wrong. Since complementing her body didn't work, perhaps he should give her the nickname he had thought for her.

"You seem to enjoy violence, don't you… ugly?" he asked cheerfully.

"Why you little—"

Tenten grabbed Sakura's form as it lunged for him a second time. Her fist almost collided with his cheek again. Tenten reasoned that he wasn't worth the effort over Sakura's enraged shouts of aggravation.

After giving him an earful at his creepy behavior, Sakura stormed off with Tenten in tow.

She released a frustrated sigh. "Who does that bastard think he is!?" she growled as she trampled down the pavement. Tenten could have sworn the pavement trembled under the pressure.

"I can't believe he flat out cupped you!" she exclaimed making Sakura's blush spread over her entire face. "He's got balls I'll give him that."

"He won't have them for long if he keeps this up," Sakura seethed. "He's a borderline stalker."

Tenten looked at her alarmed. "What do you mean stalker?"

"He's everywhere I turn. Ever since the day he transferred in he's been hovering and it's getting worse. I swear I can feel his eyes on me all day every day," she said as she suppressed a shiver.

"Do you think he has a crush on you?"

"It's too creepy to be a crush," she replied. "Everything about him is a little off. What I don't get is why this has to happen now. All I wanted to do after getting over that stupid flu was to hit the books until I tested into med school. The last thing I need is unwanted attention."

Sakura's words had Tenten looking at her sharply. Ever since she had failed to notice Kin Tsuchi—the Sound Operative who had attempted to poison Sakura—Tenten was even more vigilant of assassins parading around as students. If Sai turned out to be a repeat of that incident, Tenten needed to make sure of that and deal with it.

But his behavior just now was strange. If he was an assassin, he had the perfect opportunity to kill her several times, especially since he was in the same class and…

Tenten slowed as another thought came to mind. He was in the same class, something everyone else at base wanted to make happen for her sake. She had wondered what kind of arrangement Kakashi would choose to prevent something else from happening again.

That was when Sai suddenly made a lot more sense to her.

* * *

The next day, Tenten observed him more closely. She didn't know how she missed it, but Sai was definitely CIA and not some enemy agent. She decided to corner him at lunch when Sakura went to the bathroom.

"So you're the ROOT Agent Kakashi chose for her," she said plainly.

Sai didn't even bat an eyelash at her statement. "I don't understand what you mean panda girl."

Tenten simply smirked. "Save it. Playing dumb isn't an option. I know you think you've got this under control, but the best way to be close to Sakura isn't to grab her chest," she advised as she sat next to him on the ground. "I don't think that's what Kakashi had in mind."

"I don't believe this is your mission," Sai returned. There was no point in keeping up pretenses at this point.

"It is as her friend, and a fellow girl," she replied. "I know you're ANBU, but it seems a bit strange that you're trying this hard to get close to her. You guys are usually admirers from afar."

Sai simply shrugged. "This isn't the usual circumstance, and I'll repeat that it's not your case. If I recall, you and the other Junior Agents are participating in the Sound Operation. This isn't your jurisdiction."

"Does it look like I care?" she mused. "At the rate you're going we're going to find Orochimaru's layer and all his little minions before you make any progress with Sakura. I know how much danger her life entails. She needs the protection, and you better be there to give it to her when she needs it. That being said, you need to ease up on the stalker vibes and get to know her slowly."

Sai looked at panda-haired girl then. It appeared that Sakura Haruno was of value to people other than Kakashi. Tenten certainly held her in high regard. He was also aware that Tsunade and Shizune of the medical department also valued her beyond reason.

There certainly were a lot of people that would fall when Sakura died.

Sai decided to placate Tenten somewhat, lest she decided to take matters personally and report to Kakashi about her lack of faith in his abilities. That would only hinder his mission in the long run.

He took her advice and laid low for a few more weeks. He greeted Sakura each morning, even though she didn't return the greeting, and was always near her throughout the day. Since she didn't want praise over her body, Sai decided to enhance her nickname. He had read that some nicknames are based off of a trait opposite of the actual person. "Ugly" was the first thing that came to mind as far as opposite qualities go, but she rejected that violently.

"Hag" was the next word he decided to use. That didn't end well and he was greeted with another enraged punch to his gut.

After the second violent response, Sai had abandoned the notion of getting to know her on a pseudo-personal level. He followed her home and everywhere she went outside of school such as the market or the dojo she occasionally visited to work out. He took note of her unusual strength then, and decided to keep a good physical distance between them. He observed her and took note of small things she seemed to like: Apples, cherry blossom shampoo, leather gloves, hot tea and anything and everything medical or informative.

As the weeks went by without the signal, Sai continued to thwart any harmful attempts on her life. The protection detail certainly was a necessity for her. Sakura seemed to attract danger wherever she went. He knew Kakashi had made many enemies, but this was excessive. No other Agent had trouble with their families like this. It seemed there was something going on every other week. He certainly had his work cut out for him.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura didn't know what to make of Sai in the months that followed. She could still feel his eyes on her at times, and it freaked her out. He looked like he had tried to make an effort to get to know her. Why he was after her friendship was a mystery, but Sai didn't appear to be making any other friends. She would feel bad at times for hitting him, but then all she had to do was remember what he did to her to make it all go away.

He didn't seem to mind her attitude toward him, which was strange in itself. Most people would usually return the anger, or at least avoid any further contact. He was still in her usual vicinity, but since he kept a respectable enough distance she couldn't really complain.

Still though, there was just something about him that wouldn't let her forget him completely. Whatever it was, she certainly would try her hardest not to let him bother her again.

They were on a frozen plane as far any interaction went and it suited them just fine… until that fateful day came.

* * *

**Sai's POV:**

Six months had gone by without the signal from ROOT to act. Sleeper missions could last for years if need be. He knew Danzo was waiting for the perfect opportunity, but news from the Agency with regards to the Sound Organization indicated that they weren't even close to finding Orochimaru and his pawns.

They were particularity interested in one of his supposed assassins. That individual was so elusive that they couldn't even identify him. Whoever he was, he had the CIA on edge.

Until they got closer, Sai was to remain focused on Sakura. Today in particular seemed like another attempt, only this time the perp had infiltrated the school. The last time this happened, Sakura was poisoned and nearly died.

Sai took note of the individual who seemed out of place in the school setting. He spotted the man a few times through the day at various locations on campus. He was dressed as an ordinary official, and he would have blended in, had it not been for his constant glances at Sakura.

Sai was always looking at her because it was his job. Because of that, he also noticed anyone _else_ who had their eyes on her for unnecessary reasons. This man was definitely going to go after her.

He decided it was time to step up his game. He found Sakura just as she was about to leave the school grounds.

"Sakura," he called out. She paused at her name, but kept walking when she realized it was Sai calling out to her.

He caught up to her in no time and grabbed her wrist. "I'll walk you home."

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp. "That's not happening. Bye Sai." She tried to keep walking, but he simply grabbed her hand again.

"I really think you should allow me to escort you home," he pressed, still aware of that man keeping tabs on her. If he thought she was with someone, they'd call of the hit and give him the chance to take them out.

Sakura had once again pulled out of his grasp. "Look Sai, I really don't understand why you're always in my space. You and I don't get along, we never have and we never will! I don't have time for this now so please just do me a favor and leave me alone!"

She bolted from her spot and practically dove into a crowd of students as they exited the school yard. Sai looked back to the perp's location and was startled to realize that he was nowhere to be seen.

He had lost sight of the perp. He couldn't believe he had lost his target. His brief moment of indiscretion left him in a hurry to find her before who knows what else had happened. He ran out of the school yard and spotted Sakura's vibrant hair down the street already. She certainly was fast.

And walking at a brisk pace behind her was the perp he had lost sight of.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura stood at the crosswalk, completely lost in her thoughts. She wished Tenten was here to talk to, but she was off at an archery competition and wouldn't be back for a few days.

She was really starting to feel guilty about how she's been treating Sai. Sure he may have been a bit strange, but then again, so was she. She was about to bypass traditional college and go straight to medical school.

She was so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized that she was pushed into the crosswalk until her books came stumbling out of her arms and onto the street, just as a truck was headed straight her way.

People gasped before screaming at her to run. Sakura's eyes widened before a great force slammed into her side and sent her flying in the opposite direction. Screams could be heard along with the screech of tires and mayhem. Sakura collided with the adjacent sidewalk, accumulating various scrapes and scratches from the road.

"Someone call and ambulance!" a person shouted.

"He's bleeding!"

"Is he still alive?"

"Did the truck hit him?"

Sakura shook her head in confusion. What were they saying? She tried to roll away when she saw that she couldn't. She had a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her front, shielding her body from the worst of the fall.

It was only when she heard him groan that she realized it was Sai.

"Sai?"

She tried to pull away, but he simply held on tighter. When she saw the blood drip down the side of his head, she flipped.

"Sai!" she screamed as she pried herself out of his grasp and hovered over him. Several people came to their aid as the traffic stopped.

"Is he alright?" some guy asked.

"He needs medical attention," another said.

"No," Sai breathed.

Sakura hovered over him carefully and brushed his hair out of his face. To her amazement he got up off the floor, stumbled a bit and stood up.

"Sai we need to get you to a hospital," she said, frowning when he simply shook his head.

He put on that stupid smile on his face before saying "That is not necessary. It's just a scratch. I'm alright," he said to the bystanders.

"Are you sure?" one of them asked. "You're bleeding in several places."

"Yeah and the truck that hit you just kept going," another one said incredulously. "What a jerk!"

"I am perfectly fine. I'll be on my way now," Sai replied as he abruptly turned around and walked to the other side of the crosswalk, but not before he grabbed Sakura's wrist and dragged her along.

"Sai! Hey wait we need to go to the hospital!" she repeated as he pulled her along. His uniform was torn in several places and dirtied up pretty bad. The blood on his head was bothering her. He could have head trauma and not even know it.

Sai ignored her protests and continued to drag her away. She dug her heals into the ground, making him stop. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Let's go to the hospital. Come on you need help."

"I am perfectly fine," he repeated. "There's no need for you to be concerned."

Sakura could only gape at him. He needed to be looked at, but she didn't trust that he would go to the hospital. "At least call your parents! They would want to know you're okay!"

Sai simply blinked at her before saying "I don't have parents, so that won't be a problem."

She jerked back at that admission. "Who do you live with?"

"I live alone," he answered. He was curious about her growing apprehension for him.

Sakura was getting more nervous by the second. She was far too worried about his condition to leave him alone at this point, so she did the next best thing. "Come home with me," she ordered as she grabbed his hand and began to walk home. "There's no way I'm letting you go after that incident."

Sai stopped walking. "I've already told you—"

"Do it or I'll call an ambulance!" she screamed. Sai relented after that threat. The last thing he needed was unwanted attention or an investigation into his non-existence.

* * *

Sai entered the house and gave it a good look around. No doubt Kakashi had an arsenal hidden away somewhere. Sakura made sure the dogs were in the pen before leading him into the bathroom.

"You have a lot of dirty cuts," Sakura said as she rummaged through the cabinets for supplies. "Those need to be cleaned."

"This is unnecessary," Sai commented.

"No it isn't," she returned. Sai noticed that her hands shook as she gathered the supplies she needed. That was understandable, considering she had such a close call. "Are you hurt anywhere besides your head and arms?" she asked.

"No, I'm—" he stopped talking when she deliberately pinched his side and making it throb.

"That's what I thought," she huffed "I need to take a look at your shoulder."

"There's no need for—"

"Yes there is!" she shouted. "You were hit by a damn truck! You need medical attention and since you made the stupid choice not to see a doctor, I have to make sure you're okay!"

"If I recall correctly, you are no doctor," he stated. If it was possible, she was shaking even more. Sai thought that perhaps she wished to hit him again. She seemed to enjoy doing that. She controlled herself though.

"Take off your shirt," she commanded.

"No."

"Take off your shirt," she repeated.

Before he could retort, Sakura had taken his shirt and yanked it off, tearing the fabric where the arm met the shoulder, exposing his wound. She gasped when she saw the damage. Sai leapt off the counter and made for the exit, when she pushed against his chest with both hands and held him back with more force than intended. He held himself steady against the counter with one arm behind his back.

The other arm wrapped itself around her form and pulled her close—_real_ _close_.

They both stilled at the contact, staring directly into each other's eyes.

Sakura tried to get her nerves under control. It was hard to do considering she was being held so tightly against him with her hands on his bare chest. He had a hard body concealed beneath their school uniform. She could feel the firm planes of his abs and the strong hold of his arm against her back.

Sai was having a difficult time processing the moment. He literally couldn't find it in himself to move, but not because he was unable to. He was _unwilling_.

She was all smooth softness pushed up against his solid stance. He could feel the heat of her body and inhaled the smell of her hair. But what drew his attention most was the shine of green staring directly at him. Those same eyes broke contact first and gently tried to push away.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "But just let me fix you up a little. It's the least I could do for you after what you did for me."

Sai's arm wouldn't let her pull away however. She looked at him questioningly. "You're still shaking," he noted.

Sakura looked down and noticed that her hands were indeed shaking against his chest. A single trickle of blood escaped the cut on his shoulder, sliding into her field of view. She used the cotton swab to stop the flow and held it against the cut. Sai's skin was acutely aware of her finger sliding across its surface.

Never before had he had any kind of physical contact with someone outside of a fight, let alone a solid embrace.

Sakura briefly took note of the tattoo on his arm, wondering what the swirling red leaf symbol meant before focusing on him again. "You could have been killed," she whispered. "You almost… for me you… you—" she began to shake even more before throwing her arms around his neck and holding on tightly. Sai's eyes looked down at her hair in confusion.

"I don't understand," he said. "You were concerned for me."

"Of course I was! What's not to understand?" she shouted, still clinging to him and refusing to look at him. "I wasn't nice to you at all and yet you still risked your life for me."

Sai was at a loss as to what to do. He had read briefly that you can comfort someone simply by patting them on the back. Before he could do so, she pulled back and only then could he see the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Two fat tears cascaded down her cheeks. Sai didn't know why, but he felt the urge to wipe her tears away.

He was just as surprised as she when he actually did it. He used his now free hand and gently brushed the water off her cheeks. Somehow, seeing her distraught over _him_ was unnerving.

"Here I am crying when I need to be patching you up," she said quickly, breaking the moment. She helped Sai remove the rest of his shirt. She was more aware of him now, especially when she got a look at his abs. You wouldn't know it from his dark get-up, but Sai was actually ripped underneath.

He must have been far from lazy to achieve such a physique. She tried not to shake as she gently cleaned the dirt and blood away from his grazed skin with a damp towel. Sakura focused intently on her task, slowly getting lost in the process of patching him up.

Sai on the other hand, was busy watching her work. He noticed that at some point, she became mesmerized by her task. She worked diligently and precisely, taking care to clean his wounds, however minor they may have been. Her fingertips were feather light against his skin, which was a welcome change from the crushing power that lay within.

He looked down at her face and studied her features. Her forehead may have been a bit prominent, but he thought the imperfection suited her. Long lashes framed her eyes, shielding the green that had caught his interest earlier. A pert nose and moist lips completed her. He suddenly found himself wanting to touch those lips and see if they felt just as moist as smooth as they looked.

A stinging sensation on his head brought him out of his digressing thoughts. He barely flinched as the alcohol seeped into his cuts, but she detected it.

"Sorry, I should have warned you," she whispered. She finished cleaning and bandaging his wounds. He was told he could put his shirt back on. She began to pack up her supplies when he caught her hand.

"You have injuries as well," he said staring at her scuffed up hands.

"They're very minor compared to yours," she stated, trying to pull her hand away. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before she asked "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

He simply nodded, not seeing any reason why he shouldn't. Since he was unable to catch the perpetrator earlier, he feared that they might try something else, however unlikely that may have been. Kakashi wouldn't be back for a few hours at the very least.

She led him to the spacious kitchen, where he proceeded to watch her cook from the countertops. This was a new experience altogether for Sai. He had read that the art of preparing a meal was a good time to bond. He also read that young girls only cooked for people they care for, particularly for the boys they felt romantic interest in.

She was still somewhat on edge as she prepared a simple stir-fry of beef and tomatoes, but the food was rather good. He didn't find it bland anyway. They ate in silence for the most part, with Sakura glancing at him worriedly throughout the meal. She got up from the table and brought back a bottle of pain killers and took two out.

"Take two of these," she ordered as handed them to him with a glass of water. "Now that you've eaten you should take those to combat some of the soreness you'll surely be experiencing tonight."

Sai studied her for a moment, which seemed to make her uncomfortable. "What?" she asked.

"Is this because you feel guilty about my injuries?" he asked plainly.

Sakura sighed. "You got hurt trying to save me. Of course I feel guilty and I don't want you to feel any worse later on. Take those now and it should help, but you'll still feel something tomorrow. You were hit by a damn truck after all."

Sai nodded and took the pills. Sakura watched him carefully, trying to see if there might have been something more she overlooked. She wasn't a doctor yet, but she sure as hell wasn't mediocre. "Why don't you just go to a hospital? I'm worried that their might be more damage to your body than you realize."

"There's no need," he replied calmly.

"We can go to Sunagakure Medical Center. I know the head physician there. She's a close family friend. Tsunade can take a look at you unofficially if I asked her," she offered desperately.

Sai knew she wouldn't let this go. Guilt made people uneasy until they tried to alleviate their sense of responsibility through acts of care. He decided to promise her he would go just to placate her.

"I have my own doctor," he lied. "I'll go tomorrow since we have to day off."

She was about to protest, but decided against it in fear he wouldn't go at all. "That's good. Please see that doctor. I'm worried that there's more damage that I can assess now."

He simply nodded. They sat in awkward silence again for a few moments before she couldn't take it anymore.

"Sai… I'm truly sorry. Not just about today, but how I've been treating you since you arrived," she breathed. "You were just trying to get to know me."

"There's no need to apologize," he replied.

She smiled ruefully. "Yes there is. I'm so sorry. I think from now on we can be a bit more civil. School will be over soon and I think we should make the most of our time left together."

Sai nodded in agreement. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for since the assignment began and now he would have a reason to be near her without question until it was time to act.

He left soon after that. She watched him leave from her front door, still worried about his condition but unable to do anything further.

* * *

The next day, Sakura was true to her word in that she was much friendlier toward him. She greeted him in the morning, asked him how he was feeling since the incident, and invited him to join her for lunch.

They sat by one of the trees she usually studied under in the school yard and quickly ate their lunches before taking up their own activities. Sakura opened a large medical text book and Sai opened up his sketch pad.

Sakura couldn't really find it in herself to study at the moment. She only brought out the book to have something to do. Sai wasn't really one for conversation. It was going to be up to her to break the ice. She did know that he was always making some kind of doodle in his book. She leaned over and tried to get a peek at what he was making.

Sai stopped his sketch when he noticed her attention focused on him. He turned and met her stare.

"You're always drawing," she stated.

"You're always studying," he returned.

She closed her book and set it aside. "Can I see some of your sketches?"

The question was simple enough, but Sai felt unsettled by the notion of showing her his work. He had never really shown anyone his art before. There was no point in it.

"I can't see how it would benefit you in any way," he replied.

She looked at him questioningly. Sai really was strange at times. "I need to take a study break and I have nothing else to do. Are you afraid I won't like any of them?" she asked chuckling.

Sai actually thought about it and was surprised to realize that he _did_ feel uncomfortable with what she might think. Before he could come up with a response, she had the book snatched out of his grasp and cracked it open.

Her smile faded when she saw the first drawing. Her mouth opened in wonder at the amazing sketch of a mountain landscape. It was so detailed it was like being there in person.

"This is amazing," she breathed. "You're a better artist than I thought."

Sai released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. She continued flipping through his drawings while he composed himself.

She thought he was good.

She liked his art work.

It was the first time he had shown his art to anyone since his brother died.

Sakura continued to lose herself in his drawings. Each page she turned was better than the last. He had a lot of skill, she'll give him that. She went through most of the book before she came to the last drawing—the one he was currently working on—and paused.

He made a drawing of her.

Sai watched as she evaluated the image. It was the first sketch of her that he made, and truthfully, he wasn't even aware of making it. He had been around her for so long now that her face was constantly floating in his subconscious. It was only a matter of time until it came out in his art.

"Are you offended that I made an impression of you without your consent?" he asked when she hadn't made a sound or move for over a minute.

Sakura shook her head. "It's not that," she answered slowly. "I just don't understand. According to you, I'm not this pretty."

She finally tore her gaze away from the sketch to look at him.

Sai didn't know what to say to that. He didn't draw her with any alterations. It was an exact likeness. This was how he saw her, and it was why he drew her. Sakura had features that were unique among other females. She had a face you could never forget.

"Any more secret drawings you want to show me?" she asked mildly. Sai was looking at her in a way that made her nervous. She just didn't know where he was at sometimes.

"Would you like to see more?" he finally asked.

She nodded. Truthfully she did want to see more of his artwork. She didn't realize he was this good at it. From the beginning he seemed to make an effort to get to know her. Now was her chance to get to know him, if only a little.

So he did. In the weeks that followed, Sai brought her more of his previous work at her request. She seemed genuinely intrigued and pleased by his art. It took some time for him to get used to such praise. Art was a private affair for him, and she was the only one he allowed in. He spent a good few nights wondering why he had allowed her to get closer to him when his objective was simply to be close to her without expressing himself in anyway.

She greeted him each morning and said goodnight as well. She still hit him from time to time after he made comments on her outfits or appearance, but she much more approachable.

She would ask him more questions about his past. He wasn't used to people having any interest in him, but he was truthful in that his knowledge was very limited. He never mentioned his brother. It didn't seem relevant since he had passed away some time ago. He never knew his parents and didn't have any other family anyway.

She seemed saddened by that knowledge. After that, she began to do small things such as making him lunches or helping him with exams. Not that he need the help, but she wouldn't let him refuse her meals or inquiries into his well-being. She even encouraged him to sun bathe with her in fear of a Vitamin D deficiency.

He asked her questions about her life as well, simply to keep conversation going at times. When asked why she wanted to become a doctor, her answer was unexpected.

"My mother died giving birth to me," she explained during their lunch break outside one day. "I never knew her, but I still felt the pain of losing her. Our loved ones are always with us, even after they leave us in death. That's just the way some bonds work."

He stared at her serene expression and found it difficult to understand how she could miss someone she never knew.

She looked at him and smiled. "Anyway, I wanted to become a doctor so that I could save as many lives as I possibly can. There's great power in healing, and if I can prevent people from losing their loved ones, then I'll work as hard as I can to make sure that no other child has to suffer through the loss of a parent or anyone else they love. I want to get stronger so I can keep their bonds alive."

Sai stared at her as his chest filled with an unfamiliar feeling. Her words made him think about his brother… and the illness that plagued him. The ROOT division didn't have a medical ward or access to any kind of health care. If you were ill or injured, you were a liability and discarded. That was the way of it.

His brother's illness made him weak, and he had suffered immensely from it. He disappeared one day, and Sai assumed that the illness had taken his life. He didn't question it, and never wondered why it had to be that way. That was just how life worked.

But if they had people like Sakura around, then that might not have been the case. Perhaps his brother would have lived… and not just be a memory in his book.

"Becoming a doctor is the plan anyway," she continued lightly when his stare was starting to make her nervous. "I'll have to pass medical school and hopefully meet Tsunade's requirements to be her apprentice. I hope I can make it."

Sai looked at her for a moment before saying "You will."

She looked up at him too before giving him a smile that made his pulse race. "It's cramming eight years of study into two," she pointed out before whispering "But thank you."

Her smile had him more enthralled than he cared to admit. It was a sign of true joy; something he had never experienced and to this day had failed to master.

Naruto and a few others from the Tokyo base were constantly commenting on the lack of authenticity in his smile. It doesn't reach your eyes they would say. Nothing he did would make it seem genuine. But Sakura's smile was so effortless… and it was directed at him.

His confusion continued to mount until the entire school year had gone by. They had graduated from high school and she was to be on her way to medical school. Sai couldn't follow her there, and his apprehension for her safety grew immeasurably. He even found himself asking Tenten to keep tabs on her for him since she was going to the same University under a different program.

"Of course I'll look out for her," Tenten said with confusion in her eyes. "She's going to be my roommate so no worries there, but you can still watch her from a distance. What's gotten into you lately?"

In truth, some of the others at the CIA base were beginning to notice that Sai seemed more invested in his protection detail than he originally was. From the Tokyo base, Neji had been making comments about keeping an eye out for Sai, but Tenten thought he was just being paranoid. Now his observation seemed to have some merit.

Even Sakura seemed to notice. "I always take precaution in everything I do," she said when he kept advising her not to stay out late to study. "You don't have to be so worried about me alright?"

She figured he was just being overprotective since she seemed to be the only friend he had, and she was about to go to University without him. Summer had just begun and in a few short weeks, she would have to move across town to live in the dorms where his access to her would be severely limited.

"Is everything okay Sai?" she asked. "You seem to be a bit… on edge."

Sai looked at her intensely for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm fine," he answered, though in truth he wasn't.

* * *

Later that night, Sai paced in the confines of his tiny apartment as the confusion refused to settle in his mind.

He was completely off center. He didn't know what it was about her that made him feel this way. The more time he spent with her, the harder it was becoming to accept that she had to die and that _he_ would have to be the one to kill her. The sleeper mission was taking longer than he thought it should and… he simply didn't want to do it.

He realized then that he was beginning to question the mission.

Her death had to serve a greater purpose according to Danzo. Human attachment was a weakness. Sai knew and lived by this philosophy, but that was before Sakura.

That was before he realized that she shouldn't have to die just to get to Kakashi.

It was before he understood just how smart and talented she was and that immeasurable good could come from her as a doctor.

It was before he realized that she was a good person who made each day a little better just by being by his side.

It was before he realized…

He paused in the center of the room as the sudden realization struck him.

This was all before he had fallen in love with her.

He felt his entire body tense with the knowledge. He had read about this countless times; enough to know that everything he felt had to be love. His heart raced, his palms were sweaty, his mind was filled with thoughts of her and all he wanted to do was hold onto her and never let go.

But was he fooling himself? Was he really in love with her or was he simply confusing himself with his boundaries? He had to clarify that before he made anymore moves.

He had to make sure.

* * *

Sakura had tried to study after dinner, but she had been staring at the same page for half an hour already and hadn't even read one word. She was too preoccupied with Sai.

There was something about him she couldn't escape.

She had spent a good amount of time with him since the near-collision with that truck. He saved her life, and since then she was devastated to learn that Sai basically didn't have anyone in his life to care for him. But he was so caring himself. She didn't fail to notice that he was a bit overprotective of her.

He walked her home, stayed after school if she wanted to study, double checked intersections before letting her cross, and even offered to carry her unusually heavy book bag.

When he wasn't hovering over her, he was usually sitting beside her and making some sort of drawing. He was an amazing artist. Sakura had no idea he was that talented. His art spoke to her with feelings that his words often failed to convey. There was a quiet beauty about him when he was absorbed in his artwork that had her glancing his way more than she cared to admit.

All that staring made her noticed him physically as well.

She blamed her hormones for half of her judgment, but once she looked beyond his abrupt personality, she realized that he was really good looking—handsome even. Black hair and eyes to match against his extremely fair skin was a sharp contrast that lingered in her mind long after he was gone. His body was also memorable.

The one time she found herself pressed against him after the accident was still fresh in her mind. As lean as he was, he still had a six pack, which Sakura discovered she liked very much.

Even though he was a bit odd, she was beginning to feel things for him that she had absolutely no time to indulge in. She had to get her feelings sorted out before she made a mess of things.

The tapping on her window made her jolt in surprise.

Sakura sat up like a rod and jumped toward the window. Sai looked back at her, crouched from his position on a branch from the tree near her window. She opened the window quickly.

"What are you doing?" Sakura whispered. She looked down and couldn't see any of the dogs. "How did you—"

Sai cut her off by jumping into her window and walking toward her quickly.

"I have to make sure," he said directly before taking her confused form into his arms and covering her lips with his.

Her eyes widened in astonishment and her body froze in his hold. Sai felt her rigid form and broke the kiss. She looked so startled that he began to think this was a mistake. He tried to pull away when her hands moved to his face and stopped him.

He looked down at her questioningly as she searched his eyes. "Keep making sure," she whispered.

He steadied himself before taking her lips again. Her reaction was instantaneous. She kissed him back and wound her around him as he pulled her closer. The feel of her lips and body molded against his form was better than he imagined. He wanted her closer.

Sakura's head was spinning. Was this really happening? Was Sai really in her room and kissing the life out of her? Yes he was, she thought as his tongue dove into her mouth. His hands slid down her body and grasped her hips. She had the sensation she was falling before she felt her bed behind her back and Sai's weight on top of her.

He pulled away slightly and looked down at her flushed face. Her lips were beginning to swell and her eyes were clouded. Her arms were still wound around him as her chest pushed up against his. Both were breathing heavily.

"I don't understand any of this," he said more to himself. Sakura swallowed before responding.

"What don't you get?" she asked. Sai's hands roamed her sides, savoring the feel of her form molded against his.

"Any of this," he admitted. "I can't stay away from you. You're all I ever think about. It's impossible to think about anything else. I can't stop touching you."

He seemed even more surprised than she was about this attraction, which was fair. It certainly blew _her_ mind for sure. She looked at him softly before bringing his forehead against hers and whispered "...then don't stop."

Her words sent him into overdrive as he crushed his lips against hers and let his hands dip beneath the fabric of her shirt to feel bare skin. Her abdominals contracted as his fingertips grazed her stomach and ribs.

The books from her bed fell to the floor as he settled himself over her. She didn't care as her hands smoothed down his back and fisted his black shirt in her palms. She wanted to feel his skin as well.

Before she could so much as touch his back, he pulled away abruptly and looked at her closed door. "What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.

Sai strained his ears and noticed the sound of the iron gates opening, something that the average person couldn't ordinarily hear from this distance. That could only mean that Kakashi had returned. He looked back at her and kissed her quickly before getting off and pulling her up with him.

"Your father has returned," he informed. She looked at him shocked.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"He's at the gate," he said forgoing and explanation. "I can't be seen here with you if he's here," he added as he opened her window and checked to see if Kakashi might spot him.

"Sai," she whispered as he was about to step onto the tree branch. He looked back at her flushed form and felt the need to be back in her embrace hit him ten-fold. "When will I see you again?"

He felt his heart expand at her desire to see him again. He came back down and took her into his arms, unable to resist placing one last kiss on her lips. She seemed to melt in his hold as she released a low moan. After a moment he pulled away, knowing that he had to get away before Kakashi came inside the house and sensed his presence.

"I'll find you when it's safe," he answered vaguely as he cupped her cheek. She simply nodded as he practically dove through her window and onto the tree branch in an almost ninja-like fashion. He gave her one last look before climbing down the tree and disappearing for the night. He was out of sight before she even had time to look out the window.

She heard footsteps coming from the stairs and quickly closed her window before picking up her books and opening up to a random page before her father knocked on her door.

She smoothed out her hair before saying he could come in.

"Hi Daddy," she greeted.

"Hi," he replied as he entered her room and looked around. "How was your night?"

"Fine, just studying," she replied nonchalantly. "I left your dinner in the fridge," she added.

Kakashi nodded as he continued to look around her room. The action made her nervous. He focused on something near the foot of her bed before bending down to pick it up. He held her notebook up for her to see.

"Don't you need this?" he asked as he handed it to her.

"Not at the moment," she answered as she tossed it next to her. Her heart was racing with anxiety, and it was all Sai's fault. She felt like her father could sense that he was just here after having passionately made-out with her only minutes ago.

"Okay then," he said before turning and walking back out into the hall. He stopped at her door and gave her one last look. "Don't over-do it now," he advised. "You're cheeks look a bit red. I don't want you getting sick again."

She felt her cheeks heat up even more before saying "I won't."

Her father nodded and closed her door, after which she finally released the breath she had been holding since he stepped in. She laid flat on her bed and let her fingers touch her lips, which were still tingling from Sai's kiss.

"Wow," was all she could say.

* * *

Sai took solace in the park after his encounter with Sakura. He walked along the lake as his heart still raced from the feel of her lips against his own.

He needed to calm himself so he could think clearly, but it wasn't as easy as it used to be. His heart refused to obey him as it pulsed with energy from the mere thought of her.

Sai knew that he had just crossed a serious line.

Sakura Haruno was marked for death by ROOT because she was Hatake Kakashi's one and only weakness. But Sai could no longer accept that.

The implications will be great, but since Danzo was unaware of this new development, Sai would not make it known that he had no intention of letting any harm come to her. How could he possibly do it? How could he kill the woman he loved?

He couldn't and wouldn't. He'd sooner die than let that happen.

The beating of his heart was a testament to his love for her. Never in his life had he felt this sensation in his body. It was like every breath he took was the first one and every thought he had was with her in mind.

She simply made him _feel. _

A breeze blew by then, sending a multitude of pink flower petals his way. He looked up at the giant Sakura tree that stood at the base of the lake. The moonbeams bounced off the silky petals as his nose was filled with the scent of cherry blossoms.

Her bright green eyes flashed in his mind as he recalled the way they looked at him with something he dared to call longing.

Sai knew his capabilities better than anyone else, including Danzo. But he knew he was lost when it came to emotion. Though he didn't doubt that what he felt for Sakura was love, he knew he would need someone else to talk to about this to get some perspective.

And he knew just the person to seek.

* * *

**Ichiraku Ramen: Tokyo**

"Another round Teuchi!" Naruto shouted as he held up his empty bowl.

The ramen shop owner grinned and waved, signaling that he had heard their best customer. Naruto released a loud burp before fishing for his wallet to see if he could afford it.

He had just come back from a recon mission near a suspected base for the Sound Organization. They were getting close to finding Orochimaru and the entire Agency was one edge about it. Kakashi was swamped as it was trying to coordinate all the operations.

It was especially intense since they discovered last year that Orochimaru supposedly had one Agent that was a skilled assassin working for him. Whoever that guy was, he was lethal and efficient. The Agency listed him in their Bingo book without a name or any real scope of how deadly he is, but even so they knew he wasn't to be taken lightly.

The lightness of his wallet had him looking down in shock. He opened it to find only small change and huffed. "I thought I came fully loaded!" he shouted to himself.

"That would be difficult for you," Sai replied to his surprised form as he took a seat next to him on the bar. "Since you don't appear to have much of a peni—"

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto shouted as he pointed a finger at the new intruder. "What are you doing in Tokyo? Did Kakashi finally fire your ass?"

Sai provided him with his false smile, pissing Naruto off even more. This guy really knew how to get on his freaking nerves.

Sai dropped his false smile and stared into space. "I have something urgent that I must discuss with you," he said evenly. "It's about Sakura."

Naruto sat up straighter and gave him his full attention. "What about her?"

Teuchi's daughter Ayame came with his new bowl of ramen and set it down before him. "Can I get you anything?" she asked Sai. He simply shook his head, so she left.

Naruto broke his chop-sticks and dove right in as he waited for Sai to tell him whatever he needed to tell him.

Sai glanced at him before simply saying "I'm in love with her."

Naruto promptly spit his noodles back into the bowl before choking on the broth. He beat his chest with his fist as he once again pointed to Sai incredulously.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh? What do you mean love?!" he shouted.

"I've fallen in love with Sakura," he repeated. "And since she kissed me back, I have to assume that she might love me too… or is that incorrect?"

Naruto nearly fell of his bar stool in shock.

"Sh-sh-she kissed you? You?!" he sputtered incredulously to his pale companion.

Sai nodded, recalling the moment in his mind. "Our mouths were together for several minutes while our tongues—"

"Jeez I don't want to know!" Naruto interrupted as his cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

"Does talking about intimacy make you uncomfortable?" Sai asked with a tilt of his head. "I've read that men can count on their male associates for relationship issues or advice when it comes to sexual encounters."

"I don't know anything about sexual encounters!" Naruto shouted loudly, making several heads turn including Teuchi and Ayame, who blushed and giggled.

Naruto's cheeks flamed even more from the humiliation. Sai looked at him appraisingly.

"You've trained under Master Jiraya have you not?" he asked. "I would have thought that training would include teachings from his book series about the proper use of one's penis against a woman's—"

"Gah will you quit talking like that?" Naruto shouted as his entire face turned as red as Hinata when she tried to say a simple sentence. "What the hell is wrong with you? Kakashi's gonna kill you if you do that to Sakura!" he said before rounding on Sai with a dangerous look in his eye.

"Kakashi won't be the only one giving you hell," he said seriously. "I'll be right there with him. Why the hell should I believe you love Sakura? It seems like you just want to get into her pants."

Sai took note of how protective Naruto was in regards to Sakura. That was something Sai didn't quite understand, since Naruto had never actually met her in person. But he was loyal to Kakashi, and he must have passed that loyalty onto Sakura without question.

"I don't just wish to be with her for her body," Sai answered seriously. "For the first time in my life… she makes me feel something I've never felt before," he said as he clutched his chest.

Naruto was about to comment, when he noted the way Sai seemed to struggle with himself. He had never seen the guy struggle with anything before. "What does she make you feel?" he asked.

"It's difficult to explain," he admitted. "She asks me about things that have no relevance to life, yet she's genuinely curious about me. She makes me feel as though I somehow matter to her; as if I'm important to her life. She makes me look at life and re-evaluate everything I was taught as an Agent."

"And that's confusing to you why?" Naruto asked.

"Because no one has ever felt the need to know me before," he replied frankly, making Naruto suddenly look at him with just the slightest hint of sympathy. "But with her, it's different. I find that I _want_ to tell her things about myself, even though there's nothing to tell. I don't just want to keep her safe. I want to make her happy."

Sai looked at him then with the most unguarded expression Naruto had ever seen on him. "It's like waking up for the first time—like she saved me from a world of nothing. Is that what love is?" he asked in a voice Naruto could only decipher as hopeful.

He looked at the ROOT Agent with new eyes. He looked like a man lost in his own head, and Naruto couldn't blame him. Sai must have known the shit-storm that was coming if Kakashi ever found out about his feelings. He asked Sai to _guard_ Sakura, not date her.

But Naruto could see that what Sai felt for Sakura was genuine, even if he was a pain in the ass to deal with at times. He didn't know how Sakura was able to kiss the guy, much less do anything more, but if she was in love with Sai, what could anyone do about it?

Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a small smile. "I think it means you're in love. So don't screw this up. I'm warning you though. Kakashi won't have any of this."

Sai nodded, grateful for Naruto's input. "I know… but it's too late. I can't give up the woman I love."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and thought about it. Kakashi was crazy protective of Sakura. Any CIA father would be. Hiashi Hyuga was the same when it came to Hinata, but at least he allowed her to enter the Agency. Plus he had that bastard Neji to keep tabs on her in his place. Kakashi was a step above the Hyuga patriarch in that he didn't even want Sakura to know about the CIA. How the hell was Sai going to get past that?

"Are you going to tell her about the CIA?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know yet," Sai admitted. "But I still have an assignment to do, and for now I'm just going protect her with everything I am," he said before turning to Naruto and plastering on his synthetic smile. "I am truly grateful for your encouragement Naruto."

"Yeah… sure," he replied wearily.

Naruto still had his doubts about Sai and Sakura as a couple. Sai had one of the most obscure personalities there was and Sakura… well there must have been something she saw in him that no one else could. But he did know that Sai was one of the most formidable Agents they had. He had the ability and opportunity to protect her, and so long as he was willing to put his life on the line for Sakura, Naruto would support him.

Sai laid down enough money to cover his ramen bill. Naruto looked at him questioningly. "Since you don't yet know the ways of intercourse, it's the least I can do since ramen appears to be the only that that can give you pleasure."

He skillfully dodged the punch that was aimed at his face before leaving Naruto sputtering like an idiot behind him.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura met him in the park by the lake like he asked in the note he sent her. It had been three days since their kiss, and she hadn't seen or heard from him the entire time. The sun was setting over the horizon, casting an orangey glow over the park.

She saw him standing by the old cherry blossom tree. Sakura was familiar with this particular tree and felt a strange sense of nostalgia. There was a large framed portrait of her mother leaning against that very same tree that hung in her home. For him to bring her here made her feel a bit light headed.

But as she approached him, her heart began to beat furiously with want.

"Sai," she breathed.

He looked at her in a way that left her breathless. There was softness in his eyes that she hadn't seen before, and Sakura found that she had missed him greatly since he disappeared without a word after that night.

"Where have you been?" she asked quietly.

He walked up to her and looked deeply into her eyes. The green of her iris seemed to sparkle against the setting sun, captivating him once again. "I'm sorry I haven't told you where I've been. I just needed some time to think."

"Think about what?" she asked with concern. "If something is bothering you… or if you regret what happened between us then—"

"I love you," he said suddenly.

She gasped in surprise before her cheeks became red from his words.

"I… have never loved before," he continued. "I didn't know if I was capable of loving you properly but…," he broke off and searched her eyes again. The blush on her cheeks was so fascinating it was overwhelming. "I don't want to be apart from you ever again," he admitted.

Her heart beat at an incredible rate as he confessed to her. Now of all times was not ideal to be hearing this. Her Medical program would be starting soon, and she would be jam packed with classes and studying. Her entire focus had to be on her career in order for her to get strong enough to be taken under Tsunade's wing.

But her heart wouldn't let her forget him, and she knew then that she never could.

His eyes—once so devoid of any true emotion—were raw with need as they looked into her soul and asked for her heart. He was different than when she had first met him more than a year ago, and it wasn't until now that she realized why.

Back then he functioned like an obnoxious droid. Everything about him felt forced and mechanical, as if he was trying too hard to simply be human. But now it was as though he had finally stepped into his own skin in the light of day.

She was able to really see what was buried deep inside of him.

He was strong, protective, smart, creative, selfless… and so gentle that she couldn't understand how she was so slow to realize that.

He felt so alive… and she just knew.

She put her hand on his cheek and gazed at him softly before lifting herself on her toes to kiss him. He held her close as he kissed her back, relishing the feel of her against him once more.

She barely pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I love you too Sai," she whispered as her blush spread through her cheeks. She could feel his heart beat underneath her palm as he held her tighter. His cheeks turned the slightest hint of red, but it was enough for her to reach up and kiss him again.

There against the Sakura tree by the lake, they shared their first true declaration of love. The tree blossoms rustled with the gentle breeze, showering them with soft pink petals as they simply held each other under the swaying branches.

They knew then that there was no going back at this point. They were ready to face the world together.

* * *

Sakura moved into the University dorms a few weeks later and was happy to know that she and Tenten would be roommates. She hadn't told her friend about her new relationship with Sai, though she had a sneaking suspicion that Tenten knew—or at least suspected—that something was up.

Before she moved, Sai had visited her at home through her bedroom window countless times since their confession. Oddly enough he always seemed to know when her father wouldn't be around for his visits.

When asked why he felt the need to climb the tree to see her, he claimed that he had read a book about romantic gestures and that climbing a tree to her window was one such notion. She could only chuckle in response.

They made the most of their "romantic gestures" with the time she had left at home. He would kiss her passionately and leave her wanting more of him each time, but he always held back before they went too far. Her father came home at uncertain hours, which made Sai very cautious about how intimate they got in her home.

But now she had moved out, and the dorms were on the opposite end of town from her father's home, which drastically cut down on the amount of time she could spend with him. Kakashi was traveling extensively these past few weeks and seemed increasingly busy with work. She was grateful that he was occupied because it left him no time to fuss over her or plead with her to move back home.

A knock on the door interrupted her from her thoughts.

"I'll get it," she shouted to Tenten, who was in the other room. She opened the door and smiled at the person standing outside.

The paled eyed man smiled back at her. "Hello Sakura," he greeted.

"Neji!" she shouted as she stepped aside to allow him entrance. He bowed politely before entering. "Tenten's almost ready," she said knowingly to their handsome guest.

Neji Hyuga was a real lady killer with his tall and lean build, long dark hair and the most unique pale lavender eyes that could make you stop and stare. Tenten was a lucky woman. If they ever got married their babies would be _stunning_.

"I trust that everything is going well for you?" he asked as she went back to re-arraigning her knick-knacks.

"Couldn't be better… why?" she asked.

He looked at her wistfully. "You've bypassed four years of standard university and entered the senior class of the medical program," he replied as if the explanation was enough. "It wouldn't be unusual to expect some difficulty with the adjustment. You must be working very hard."

Sakura smiled. True to the nature of almost everyone around her, Neji was very protective of her. He was like the older brother she never had, and the most he ever did was voice his concern rather than try to shield her from everything. He wasn't demanding or unreasonable in the least bit. Tenten was a very lucky girl indeed.

Said lucky girl came out of her room and grinned. "Hi," she said smiling at her not-so-secret boyfriend. He smiled back at her in response.

Tenten turned to Sakura, who smiled at her slyly before saying "Make good choices you two."

They both had the grace to blush her insinuation, even though it wasn't what tonight was about. Their supposed "date" was actually a recon mission for the agency. They were going to meet up with Lee and scout the neighboring towns for any public Intel.

The Sound Operation was one of the most prolonged missions in the history of the Agency, and the rumored Assassin under Orochimaru's wing was so damn elusive some of the Agents were beginning to question his existence.

Kakashi was up to his eyeballs in work and barely even had time for Anko, who was an experienced CIA Operative that was also working on the investigation and whom everyone knew he was romantically involved with.

Even _that_ was kept secret from Sakura.

"So…," Sakura said when the two made no move to go. "What time do you think you'd get back?"

"I'll be out late. I can't really say," Tenten replied. "You don't have to wait up for me," she added with a sly smirk of her own.

Sakura suppressed her blush as best she could, yet she could feel Neji's scrutinizing gaze assessing her reaction. Tenten began to shove him out the door before he could think any further about it. She turned to face Sakura to shut the door and winked.

"Make some good choices of your own," Tenten whispered before closing the door.

Sakura released the breath she had been holding since Neji arrived. She was going to meet Sai, and it would be the first time she ever went to his apartment. He had put off the notion of her visiting him for reasons she didn't understand. But now he had a new apartment that was much closer to her university.

It was finally time to see where he called home.

* * *

**Sai's Apartment: **

The time spent with Sakura since confessing his love to her was life changing. He had never been more conscious of his beating heart than when he was holding her against him and kissing her lips.

His attachment to her was growing at an incredible rate. His body was constantly craving more of her touch, but he always held back from going too far. He had read that the first time for anyone was a tremendous event that they would remember for life. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, but time and circumstances were never on their side.

He couldn't do anything when she was living under Kakashi's roof, and her school work and classes dictated the rest of her day. But now she was living away from her father, and Sai had finally secured a small apartment near her school with his own funds. He had saved up enough money by selling some of his art to support himself years ago as part of his survival. One could never depend on anything fully, even in ROOT.

He was aware of the presence at his door before the first knock was made. When he saw her standing outside, his heart began to quicken once more. It was a feeling he would never get used to.

"I would have come to get you," he said as he let her inside. He never liked the idea of her going anywhere alone. Not after what he'd witnessed protecting her.

Sakura stepped into his tiny studio apartment. It was sparsely furnished with only the bare minimum essentials. There was a bed in the corner, a chair and a small table. A mini kitchen and bathroom occupied the other corner.

The only signs of décor were the numerous drawings on the walls. It made everything else fade in comparison.

"This is where you've been living," she stated, turning to him.

"It's all I needed," he replied. "I had hoped to furnish it more for you but—"

"I love it," she interjected quickly. "It doesn't need anything else. All I need is you," she said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his surprised form.

He recovered quickly and kissed her back fiercely. He wanted to provide the perfect setting for her should they ever get this far, but he couldn't wait anymore. He allowed himself to get lost within her as he quickly began to disrobe her.

Sakura's head was spinning as she allowed him to slip her coat off. His fingers yanked at her blouse until it came out of her skirt. She gasped as he pushed them back onto his mattress.

Sai stared down at her as his mind's eye absorbed her form, breathless beneath him. He knew that another line was about to be crossed if they continued—only this time there truly was no going back.

He had already decided to abandon Danzo's mission long ago. Now he was going to take up another one: To love, protect, and make her his forever.

His hands slid from her neck to her chest before rolling the first button of her shirt between his fingers. Slowly, he undid every one, savoring the sight of her skin as it emerged into view.

He kissed her again as she arched her back and let the sleeves roll down her arms. Sai promptly tossed the shirt aside before his hands roamed her back. The feel of his rough and calloused hands against her bare skin sent shivers throughout her.

She grasped the ends of his shirt and tried not to be too forceful when she yanked it off him. Sai leaned back to assist her and enjoyed the look on her face as her eyes took in his form. He was lean yet shaped. His musculature clearly stood out under the incredibly fair skin that covered them. His leaned forward and rested his equally strong arms on either side of her face as he hovered over her.

Even though he had constantly teased Naruto about his lack of experience in sex, Sai himself was just as green in the field. Through his studious reading on this aspect of a relationship, he had deduced that the act was purely driven by instinct.

His instinct was telling him to touch every surface of her body with his own.

And that's what he did as he began to fully undress her. Every new surface of her body that wasn't shielded by cloth was met with his lips until she was bare beneath him. His body responded as he felt himself harden with the sight of her beautiful form writhing in his arms.

She reached out for him and began to pull the rest of his clothing off, which he hastily helped her do. He kissed her again as he laid his bare body over her. The feel of their skin in contact for the first time was thrilling.

Their kisses became more urgent as they moved against each other. Sai felt his control slipping with each second that passed and grew more anxious as the need to fill her consumed him. The barest hint of sanity made him remember to protect her before he lost to himself. He pulled away and procured the protection, hastily putting it on before returning to her.

She barely had time to be appreciative of the gesture before he entered her, swiftly and powerfully.

She screamed his name in a way he had never thought was possible. Sai released a primal groan and felt as though the world had stopped turning. He had never been so stimulated in his entire life. Every one of his senses was active, and as he looked down at her bare form molded against his body, he never wanted it to end.

"Move," she breathed.

He complied as his body washed over with pleasure. He was slow at first—savoring the feel of her—before his body automatically increased its pace. He was met with her moans and gasps, stimulating him further.

They moved together in rhythmic synch as they gazed into each other's eyes. He kissed her lips and held her close as they made love in his small apartment. This was art in all of its essence; something that didn't need ink or a canvas to be beautiful and captivating.

Sakura was lost in the sensation of him as he drove into her. She could feel herself ready to burst from the pressure and threw her head back in response as her body washed over in release. The sight of her rapture stimulated him to quickly follow her as he arched his back and experienced his own release.

Mating was a powerful thing indeed. His body had never been as active or engaged with anyone, not even combat. They savored the precious calm after stimulus as they both came down from their release and settled against each other.

Sai let himself fall atop her breathless form, almost in surrender. He was completely overwhelmed. Sakura didn't mind one bit as her arms feebly settled over his back. They stayed that way for minutes as they caught their breath.

Sai recovered first and turned with her in his arms so that he was no longer crushing her with his weight. She fell against him as his hands roamed over the softness of her body. He couldn't seem to stop himself as the need to just remain in contact with her took over his senses.

She seemed to be equally enthralled with his body as she wrapped her leg over his side and placed butterfly kisses on his chest and shoulder. He was glad to know that he had pleased her. She sighed with content as they lay in comfortable silence.

Pure exhaustion from their first time together took over as they lost their consciousness to sleep. Four hours passed before Sakura felt his kisses on her face waking her up. She could see that it was dark outside from the window and looked up at Sai, who kissed her softly.

She smiled when they parted. "I have to go back soon," she mumbled as her nose grazed his chest. Sai held her closer in response. He didn't want her to go, but he knew Kakashi would find out if she didn't make it back to her dorm.

"Your father has to know about us," he said suddenly. She stiffened in his hold and looked up at him.

"No he doesn't!" she retorted. "Sai, he can't know about us. At least not what just happened here today," she said blushing furiously.

"He has to know we're in a relationship," he replied. "I should have gotten permission to be with you beforehand."

She smiled. That was very old-school of him but still just very sweet. "I'm not ready to tell him just yet. My father is extremely protective of me. He won't like the idea of me dating a guy he doesn't even know."

Sai said nothing for a moment as he reflected on that. She didn't know of course that Kakashi knew of him, and she would never now. But even Sai knew that Kakashi would not react well to this news. He knew better than Sakura even, just how overprotective her father was. Unfortunately, Kakashi had every reason in the world to be just that.

"If that's what you wish, then I won't say anything until you're ready," he promised. She visibly relaxed in his hold before reaching up to kiss him again. Sai flipped her onto her back before proceeding to immerse himself within her once more.

They still had a little time.

* * *

Sai waked her back to her dorm. He wouldn't let her go back alone, especially at night. A new sense of paranoia consumed him over her safety. Now that they had become physically intimate, he felt more… territorial so to speak.

He now understood why men had the tendency to become overprotective of the women in their lives. The thought of other men hurting, lusting or even thinking that way towards their girl triggered an uncontrollable urge to seek and destroy. Sai already knew of the danger in her life. He would never take any chances with Sakura.

He held her hand firmly in his as they walked. Sakura leaned against his side comfortably, as she was still tired—and sore as hell—from their night. Gifting your virginity to each other would do that to you wouldn't it? She smiled as his thumb absentmindedly stroked her knuckles.

She was glad they had this time together. Her schedule was intense since she was already in the senior class of the Medical program with a Medical Residency to follow with Tsunade. She was almost nineteen and had earned quite the reputation due to her age and appearance.

She was known as the Cherry Blossom Prodigy; a nod to her hair and youth she supposed. Her classmates were decent enough, even though most underestimated her abilities. She was always quick to surprise them with her skill.

Her busy life just made being here with Sai all the more special.

Sai titled her chin up from her day dreaming. She was startled to realize they were already at her dorm. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothing much," she said blushing. "Thanks for walking me back."

She was giving him that soft smile he had come to love. Her cheek was soft and warm as it blushed under his hand. It was at times like these that she resembled the delicate nature of her namesake flower; even though she had the strength in her to probably tear trees down at their base. It was a side of her that he knew she only let _him _see, and just like that he felt his desire return.

He pulled her close and covered her mouth with his in a slow melting kiss. He felt her arms cling to his neck as she lost the ability to hold herself up. She sighed as they parted and bid him goodnight before going into her dorm. Sai waited until he heard her turn the lock before walking back.

His thoughts were still filled with the memory of their intimacy, and already he wanted to have her back in his arms. But he had to control himself. He still needed to keep his mind sharp in order to protect her from threats, even though the attempts seemed to have subsided as of late.

But still, he couldn't afford to get sloppy. You never know who may be watching or why.

He turned the corner and disappeared into the ally, only just missing the pair of narrowed eyes watching him leave.

If he looked back, he certainly would have seen the one glowing red eye, spinning wildly at what it had just witnessed.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE: **

Remember this is a prequel for my other story "To Love and to Love Again". This is only part one out of two! Second and final half will post when it's done! Much more stuff happens in part 2.

So this is part one of Wake Me Up Inside. Part two will post when I've worked out all the plot holes and kinks and stop writing (I have a problem)! There are still 32 pages worth of story to post when it's ironed out. I didn't want to split it but I think 80 pages in one shot is a bit daunting to read maybe?

I would LOVE to hear what you guys think so far, especially nine months after To Love and to Love Again finished. Notice that a baby could have been born in this time.

Speaking of babies, a special little someone is coming your way next chapter :)

I hoped you like so please review, even if you didn't like it thus far. Tell me XD


	2. Chapter 2

**Wake Me Up Inside: The Ballad of Sai and Sakura Part 2**

**Authors Note**: This story is the Prequel to my other fic "To Love and to Love Again" as Sai and Sakura's story. It's now going to be a THREE PART STORY I hope you enjoy. And I DO NOT own Naruto. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto!

* * *

**Kakashi's office**:

"More evidence has been found in that region," Yamato explained via satellite transmission. "Several containment chambers were left that were once in use, but not any longer. The only reason we found it was because park rangers accidentally activated the entrance and called the cops. Orochimaru was definitely here at one point but hasn't been here for months."

"Why are we unearthing so much at once?" Kakashi asked. "After all these years of carefully hiding himself, he's suddenly getting sloppy with his whereabouts. How can that be?"

Yamato looked thoughtful. "I've asked myself that question as well. It's unlike him to be this careless. But recent Intel indicates that most of the activity is within this general area. He must be here somewhere. We're close Kakashi. I can feel it. We have to be on top of this so I'm requesting permission to stay with the ANBU here to aid them where I can."

Kakashi nodded. "Permission granted. Let me know the moment you find anything even remotely relevant."

Yamato nodded before switching his monitor off. Kakashi knew that this mission touched a few personal notes with Yamato, as he was also one of Orochimaru's victims who beat the odds and survived the experiments. He couldn't blame Yamato for wanting to be a part of the take-down.

His office door opened then. Speaking of survivors…

Anko strolled in with a stack of papers. "I want in on that by the way," she said lightly.

Kakashi sighed. "I thought these walls were sound proof."

She smirked. "They are. Yamato called me a few minutes before you to ask about certain aspects of Orochimaru's general methodology. Didn't take long to know he'd call here next."

Kakashi took the papers she handed him and quickly glanced at them before setting them down on his desk. He was buried in work with no foreseeable break in the near future. There simply wasn't time. The Orochimaru case was quickly gaining momentum and losing the scent of this trail was not an option.

He had to stay on top of it, yet half of his mind was elsewhere.

He hadn't seen Sakura for months. He knew she was taking on a tremendous and unheard of workload on the road to becoming a doctor worthy of Tsunade's tutelage. He was proud of his daughter's exceptional skill and didn't want to bother her too much with his need to know she was okay; the less distraction she had the better for her education.

But he had missed her so much that he caved and went to visit her. He was approaching her dorm when he saw her.

Or rather, saw _them. _

He saw the way she walked with the ROOT Agent she was never supposed to know.

He saw the way the Agent held her hand as she leaned against him.

He saw the way he looked down at her flushed face before taking it in his hands and _kissing _her.

His Sharingan eye activated on impulse—ready to strike at the action—when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

It was Anko who had followed him and stopped him from interfering right then and there. She saw him leaving the base, and any other time she would have assumed he was going to the cemetery as he usually did. But he had been glancing at Sakura's picture so often that she had a hunch he might try and see her. She had overheard that knucklehead Naruto talking about it with Neji Hyuga in what he must have assumed with a private conversation at Ichiraku's.

The Ramen shop just happens to be near her favorite Dango stand. She wanted to slip in and scare the shit out of the blond agent, as it was one of her guilty pleasures, when she caught the gist of their conversation and backed off.

"Have you spoken to her?" she asked when he remained silent.

"A few times."

"And she hasn't mentioned anything?"

"No," he practically growled. "She's never mentioned him once, no matter how much I've tried to get it out of her."

"But you don't have time for that," she reminded. "I get that she's your daughter but that ROOT Agent is the best protection she's ever had. You're about to move in on an operation that can send the assassins running to her door. Taking him away from her now would be a huge mistake."

"And how much more of a mistake would it be to let him… continue," he seethed. "He's taking advantage of her, and his position as an Agent."

Anko raised a brow. "From what I saw, she seems to like him." Kakashi's glare didn't faze her in the least bit. "And she's not the only one hiding a relationship and so much more," she added with amusement. "Like father like daughter."

Kakashi dropped the tension in his shoulders. She had him there and he hated it. Kakashi's relationship with Anko was something the both of them agreed not to tell her. Anko, because she preferred a certain perimeter of distance when it came to personal involvement, and Kakashi for the simple reason that he simply didn't know how without risking the exposure of his CIA life.

"Deal with Orochimaru first," she advised. "She's safe, and the ROOT Agent may be getting too close for your liking, but he's still doing his job. You need to do the same."

He nodded, knowing she was right but hating it all the same. But he'll get his chance to deal with Sai. He'll see to it.

* * *

For the next few months Sakura worked herself to the brink of her limits. Between her final year at University—that included her Residency at the hospital—and being with Sai, she was jam packed with room for little else. Tenten was still in school and their schedules made it almost impossible to get together for anything, regardless of the fact that they shared a dorm, but they still occasionally talked on the phone. It was pretty much just Sai as her only solace from work.

Her relationship with him was progressing, even though she was keeping it under wraps from her father. She knew he would not be happy with her dating, especially during her Residency. She just wanted to put off the inevitable meeting until she could handle it better, but it was becoming increasingly hard to delay.

She had a feeling her father may have suspected something was going on with her. Lately, their phone conversations always ended up with him hounding her for the latest happenings in her life, as if he was waiting for her to confess to some crime. It made her nervous, because her father always had a tendency to know things he shouldn't. But Sai was also trying to sway her into revealing their relationship. His determination was confusing, since he seemed just a bit too eager to go public.

The stress of it all was beginning to get to her. Tsunade had officially taken her on as an apprentice; an accomplishment that hadn't been seen since Shizune Kato. This meant she also had to spend half her day at Sunagakure Medical Center, Kyoto's top rated Hospital where Tsunade worked.

Sakura was working herself so hard that her stress manifested in the form of severe nausea and even vomiting on several occasions. She was such a nervous wreck, throwing up so many times that she was beginning to think she might a virus or food poisoning.

"I think you need to take a break," Sai said to her one day over Chinese take-out. "Your body doesn't seem to be handling the stress very well. I should have prepared a healthier meal for you," he added as he assessed their take-out.

She simply shrugged and enthusiastically dug into her chow mein. "For the last time, I'm fine," she stated calmly as she added a good amount of soy sauce to her noodles. She took one big bite and savored the flavors before swallowing with a sigh. "And you know what? Chinese food tastes so much better after you've worked your ass off."

Sai only watched her wearily, but left her alone. Sakura was smart and she could handle her own health, but he was going to be watching her even closer than before. His worry for her only grew when he made his decision to come clean to Kakashi about his intentions with her.

Since Sakura made it clear that the idea worried her, he decided to keep it to himself for the time being. If Kakashi retaliated in any way, he didn't want Sakura to be there for any of it. Sai found that he was experiencing a new type of feeling with regards to the Commander: guilt.

Sakura was very close to her father. He knew she didn't want to lie to him, but she was too afraid of how he would react. Since she knew him better than Sai did, he trusted that Kakashi would indeed react badly. It was problematic because if Kakashi knew the depth of their relationship, he would cease the protection detail.

What reason would he have to be near her then?

Sai had grown accustomed to having her around him by now. Sakura slept over at his apartment so often that she was there more than at her dorm. He had even bought her a dresser to keep her clothing and books when she did. He also bought a larger bed and cooking supplies. She was exhausted after her shifts with Tsunade, and he felt the least he could do was cook for her, though he wasn't as good at it as she was.

Cohabitating wasn't a new concept for him since he and his brother shared a room during ROOT training. There was an easy divide between supplies and daily routine. Cohabitating with a _female_ however, presented a new set of challenges he didn't know how to prepare for.

For one thing, the amount of toiletries and home décor nearly tripled. Various shampoos, lotions, scented candles, brightly colored bath sponges, fluffy floor rugs, decorative pillows, seat cozies and other feminine items also found their way in. Sai never cared to keep things in his apartment purely for aesthetic appeal, aside from his art. Everything he owned was basic, from his bedding and furniture, to toiletries and supplies: the bare minimum for survival.

But Sakura appeared just as intent on providing him with comfort as he was for her. She changed the bedding and helped pick the new bed, which was softer than anything he had ever slept on before.

"You used to sleep like a board," she said one morning as she rolled on top of him. "It's like you couldn't relax. But now you're always sprawled out over me," she added.

Sai stroked her bare sides as he looked at her questioningly. "I'm quite relaxed, even with you beside me. Is it unpleasant for you? Because you don't seem to mind my touch when we're in the middle of coit—"

"Not that," she said blushing. "But now that we have a comfortable bed, you're much more relaxed when you sleep. You always had the bare minimum, but nothing for comfort. Why is that?"

"I was never uncomfortable with the essentials. They're all I needed to survive," he stated, as if she should already know that.

She looked at him softly and kissed him. "You've already survived. Now it's time to enjoy life a little. Besides, I like a comfortable nook to come home too," she mumbled as she rested her head on his bare chest.

Sai looked at her pink hair thoughtfully.

Home; she thought of his apartment as home. The humble word had more meaning to Sai than he realized because… well because he never associated _anywhere_ he stayed as his home.

He never knew where he was born, or where he and his brother lived before being picked up by ROOT. They couldn't remember ever having parents or relatives of any kind, and since then wherever Sai stayed, it was simply a temporary apartment or quarter where his next mission was located.

He never had a home to return to.

It was then that Sai began to realize what had changed. The apartment he rented to be close to Sakura was going to be yet another temporary location for him until he knew where she would be going next. When she wasn't here, it felt just like any other place he could easily pack up and leave behind.

But when she _was_ here, sleeping in his bed, showering in his bathroom, cooking in his kitchen or studying in the front room, his small temporary apartment was not so momentary anymore.

She wasn't just making him comfortable. She was making him a _home_. She was giving him something to come back to; something to care for and cherish. She was encouraging him to _live_ and not simply exist. She_ was_ his home.

"Stay here with me," he said suddenly.

Sakura looked up at him confused. "I am staying here; a lot actually."

He shook his head. "Move in with me," he specified. He waited a beat before he saw the blush spread on her face.

He wanted her with him as often as possible. He didn't want her to live in the nearby dorm. He couldn't protect her when she was there, and he couldn't hold her a night when she was safest in his arms. Having her move in with him would make keeping her safe that much easier. ROOT was not to be taken lightly, and Sai couldn't risk anything when it came to Sakura. She was too precious. Danzo didn't know about his decision yet, but he wasn't above vengeance if opportunity presented itself.

"Move in?" she breathed. "I can't… there's no way I can—"

"You're already here quite often," Sai pointed out. "Most of your things are here. There's no reason for you to go back to the dormitory when you can do everything here."

"My dad will go apeshit!" she returned. "That's reason enough."

Sai looked at her questioningly. "How is your father able to produce the excrement of an ape?"

Sakura resisted laughing at his expression, because she knew it was one of those times he didn't understand those sayings. But he should know that if she was still insecure about telling her father about them, then why would telling him about moving in be easier?

She sighed. She couldn't have been a bigger chicken if she glued feathers over her body and laid eggs at dawn.

His hands slid up and down her back, sending shivers up her spine. "I want you here with me," he said honestly. "I want to come home to you."

Her heart swelled in her chest as she kissed him again. "I love you," she breathed before he flipped them over so she was beneath him.

After they spent the remainder of the morning acting on their love, Sai escorted Sakura to class. She was still hesitant about moving in with him, but Sai wasn't deterred. Since she was already over so often that she practically was living with him, he was satisfied for the time being. Whatever he could do to keep her safe and happy, he would gladly do.

She stopped at the front of the school. "I'll be done by three."

Sai nodded. "I'll be here to bring you home by then."

Sakura smiled before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. The way he kissed her made her anxious to end the day and come back to him as soon as she could. She pulled away and looked at him softly before going to class.

Sai watched her leave as usual, taking care to observe anything or anyone suspicious in her general area. He had sensed the presence that had been watching them for the past two minutes and waited until Sakura was completely out of sight before walking back.

When he turned the corner, he spotted the clear calculating eyes of one Hyuga Neji, from the Tokyo branch of the CIA.

"So it's true," Neji stated, forgoing any explanation for his presence.

Sai didn't have to ask what he meant by that. "It is," he simply replied.

Neji's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the confirmation. Naruto had already confirmed what he and Tenten suspected, but he wanted to make sure himself. "That is a complete breech of protocol, even for a ROOT Agent."

"This isn't a mission," Sai countered. "Not anymore."

"Maybe not to you," Neji replied. "But Kakashi will not tolerate this. He's investing all of his time on a major operation and he can't afford any distractions. I'm warning you. If you're not serious about her then cease this at once!"

Sai stiffened as the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Every ounce of instinct he possessed was telling him that it was finally time. "Which operation?" he asked in such a direct manner that Neji raised a brow.

"Orochimaru," he said, making Sai actually tense. "The operatives in the field have come across mounting evidence of Sound Operations in the north. We move in _tonight_," he stressed. "This is an eight year investigation about to come to a close. We cannot afford any mistakes so don't get involved with Sakura at this crucial time."

Sai stared at the Hyuga with the devoid face of a ROOT Operative, yet his mind was chaotic with the knowledge that the time to act was now.

"I have no intention of keeping this from Kakashi," he said to Neji's surprise. "I will tell him myself."

"And he won't react well," Neji stated. "Are you even serious about her? Because if you aren't, Kakashi isn't the only one you need to worry about."

The warning was evident, and Sai felt renewed comfort in the knowledge that Sakura was important to many highly skilled people that were willing to protect her, even from himself. Naruto, Neji, Tenten, Tsunade and Kakashi were all determined to keep her safe and Sai was immensely relieved.

He smiled synthetically at his colleague and simply said "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

He was serious; dead serious. He parted ways with the Hyuga and spent the remainder of the day contemplating what to do next and anticipating the signal, whatever it would end up being. He made sure he had everything he needed before returning to his apartment.

That day—in the form of a note discreetly delivered via ROOT operative—he received the order to act. And on that day, he had made his choice.

* * *

He prepared everything he would need while she was in class. It would be done in his apartment; their _home. _This decision would stay with him for the rest of his life and hers, but it had to be done. He needed to be gentle and loving, sweet and kind but for his sake he had to be quick and efficient. After everything she had unknowingly been through simply because of who she was born to, she deserved that much at the very least.

And so he came to pick her up as promised, but when he saw her sitting there by the tree and reading her book, he couldn't resist making another drawing of her. His heart beat furiously as he captured her relaxed countenance on paper, adding a title that up until recently, he had never done before.

He called it "The Love of My Life". She was that and so much more; more than he would ever be able to tell her. She would never know just how much she had saved him from nothingness.

The position of the sun reminded him that he was late in getting her. Her disgruntled face was also a sign when he approached her. It quickly faded when he showed her why he was late. Sakura never appreciated tardiness of any kind, citing that it was a bad habit of her fathers to never respect a timetable of any kind. It was a known fact within the CIA that Kakashi had a knack for being late to things in general. He couldn't blame her for valuing promptness, especially in her line of work.

He walked her home as she flipped through his drawings—a simple act that still made his heart swell with pride that she loved his work so much—and tried to control his erratic pulse from what was soon to come.

He had to remain in control, but the frightening thing about Sakura Haruno was how she could take that away from him just by being by his side. He loved her deeply, but feared how helpless that could make him when it came to her.

But it was too late to go back. It was now or never.

They reached the apartment and entered.

"I need some water," he said quickly. "You should go rest in the bedroom."

She smiled and nodded, tiredly making her way to the room. Sai watched her with the intensity of a hawk. He heard her gasp, before all was silent. He gave her sixty-seconds to herself, before going in after her.

The room was lit was numerous candles and smelled like the roses he had scattered around the room. She stood there in shock, not even blinking when he came to stand before her. She held a small velvet box in her hand, which she had opened to see the ring he had chosen for her.

He saw the blush on her cheeks and felt his own face heat up as he took the ring and got down on one knee, as the literature had instructed him to do. He thought it was apt to humble yourself before asking for such a tremendous thing of woman to do.

Her eyes began to water. "I know we're young," he said as gently as he could. "But life is too short to wait around. I want nothing more than to have you be my wife. I love you Sakura Haruno."

The tears fell as her body shook. He held up the ring, and on the day he was told to kill the woman before him, asked her a question he never thought he would need to ask.

"Will you marry me?"

She cried freely and threw her arms around him. "Yes," she cried, over and over as he held her close. He kissed her, finally accepting his fate to relinquish control of his heart and give it to her.

That night had set the stage for the rest of their lives. Much was at stake, and the enormity of his choice would come without doubt, but for now he would pay any consequence to simply live.

He would do whatever it took to protect their bond.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Mayhem and madness had wrapped itself around Sakura's life since she entered her Residency. She was six months in and not only was she at least eight years younger than everyone else, but she was the most driven and talented of them all.

Tsunade couldn't have been more proud—or intense—with her training to anyone else. Sakura didn't get any favoritism. If anything, she was worked harder than anyone else. Tsunade did not joke around when she said she should brace herself for hell.

But she was also deliriously happy at the same time. Newly engaged to a man she never knew she could love so much, Sakura Haruno M.D was on cloud nine. Sai had asked her to share her life with him, and she whole heartedly said yes. Her cloud was higher than it should have been, but had a heavy rope to make sure she didn't get whisked away into the atmosphere.

She was living with and engaged to Sai… and her father had _absolutely_ _no idea. _ Sakura may have been a smart woman, but this was as stupid as it gets. She was even beginning to hear that voice in her head that chastised her for her stupidity.

"Inner"—as she secretly liked to call her bad-ass alter ego— had woken up from her decade long sleep only to constantly screech her thoughts to an already panicked Sakura. She knew she couldn't hide this from her father forever, but the more time that went by, the more she couldn't do it.

Sakura never wanted Sai—or anyone else for that matter—knowing about Inner. The only person who knew was her childhood friend Ino, whom she hadn't seen since grade school. When she stopped the think about it, Inner disappeared the same time she and Ino parted ways to go to different schools.

She shook her head, not having the time or desire to think about Inner and Ino having some sort of mental connection. She took control of her mind once again before her morning meeting with a very special someone.

She entered the office and smiled at her boss.

The red headed man with shadowed eyes looked up at his guest calmly. Sabaku no Gaara was the CEO of Sunagakure Hospital with a reputation as fierce as anyone could have. People literally feared him for reasons too numerous to count. Sakura thought it was the intensity of his eyes that had most people on edge. That and the inexplicable kanji tattoo of the word love in blood red ink on his forehead.

She however, wasn't affected by his reputation. Truth be told, she enjoyed Gaara's company very much. He was also a prodigy of sorts and a business mogul who was the same age as her. She thought of him as a comrade in the game of life.

He stood up and subtly opened his arms for a hug, which she gladly gave. He was also a dear friend.

"How are you adjusting to Sunagakure Medical?" he asked gently.

His voice had a unique coarseness to its tone, like the gentle sound of sand blowing across the dessert. Gaara wasn't one to think too highly of himself, regardless of his power, yet Sakura knew he had the ability to keep this hospital prosperous in a relatively subdued city such as Kyoto. She quietly acknowledged and respected that power when they first met months ago.

She gave him a tired smile before saying "I've been here for six months so I'm as adjusted as I'll ever be. It's a great hospital. Tsunade has me in her ropes so we'll see if I last."

"You will," he said confidently. "Temari and Kankuro wish you well. They're out of the office today but they'll stop by and check on you when they get back. You really should be getting some rest when you can," he advised when it looked like she was suppressing a yawn.

Sakura resisted her yawn as best she could before smiling again. She expected to be worked to the bone if she was going get where she wanted at the pace she wanted. She had the added advantage of her youth to clock in as many hours as possible for her starving brain to nourish itself with knowledge.

"I'll be fine," she said to put him at ease. Gaara was just as protective of her as her as her father and everyone else in her life were. "I'm here to be pushed to the limits after all," she added as she pushed on her bicep for emphasis.

She had it in her mind that she must appear weak to any and all who knew her for them to feel the need to go out of their way to protect her. That's why she was determined to prove to everyone that she didn't need them to do anything for her.

Gaara simply nodded. Kakashi had asked him to look after her while she was in his hospital. He also knew of her personal situation with the ROOT Agent via private message from Naruto Uzumaki, who asked that he not mention anything to Kakashi about her relationship for the time being. He was determined to help her however he could.

Gaara felt a special attachment to the pink haired doctor. It wasn't romantic, though he wasn't going to deny that that might have been the case if she wasn't already involved with someone. He respected her, not only for her intellect and skill, but because she was also someone who grew up without a mother just as he had.

They both lost their mothers at birth. It was a pain they shared and understood, but it was her dedication to devoting her life to helping others that made him admire her.

"_You and I know the pain of losing our mothers the way we did," she told him in her initial interview. "Sometimes it's hard not to feel like it was our fault. Our mothers died bringing us into the world after all. But it's not our fault and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that another child out there doesn't have to experience that pain." _

Gaara shared her enthusiasm for helping those that needed it and was determined to help her succeed. As part of the CIA himself, he was just as protective of her as everyone else and well aware of the possible dangers she could face as the daughter of such a high standing figure.

"I expect to see great things from you then," he said making her smile. "I know that competing hospitals have wanted you in their service. I don't intend to lose you to them anytime soon."

"I don't plan on leaving Suna, or Kyoto for that matter," she replied. "This is an amazing hospital. Not even buzz of Tokyo could take me away."

He looked at her wistfully. "Tokyo has been the most aggressive in seeking you out. Some of the most advanced medical facilities are there, including our biggest competitor."

She simply waved her hand. "And I'm sure Konoha Medical Center is a great hospital," she said, well aware of which hospital he was talking about. "But so is Kyoto's ever famous Sunagakure Medical. This is also my home, and I'm sure you're a better boss than KMC's CEO."

Gaara allowed a small smirk at the flattery. "Konoha Medical has a new CEO who is intent on improving their status. I don't intend to lose to him."

Sakura didn't doubt that. Gaara was an impressive leader intent on serving the city of Kyoto to the best of his ability. He worked tirelessly with his older brother Kankuro and older sister Temari, who were a part of his management team. Kankuro's facial tattoos were more outrageous than Gaara and Temari looked like she could cut you if you looked at her wrong. They really were a motley crew of a family, but she liked them all… with a decent amount of apprehension as well.

"Well whoever the new CEO of Konoha Medical Center is, he better watch out for us," she said confidently. "Because I don't intend to lose either," she added before taking her leave.

Gaara simply smiled as she left.

* * *

The next day, Sakura was scheduled to assist in several surgeries that would require hands on training. Tsunade was really packing on the responsibility and it was up to her to prove that she could meet the demands.

Sakura suppressed her yawn as best she could. She and Sai were up most of the night, unable to leave each other alone to sleep. She blamed his irresistible post-shower body for deciding to appear in front of her needy over-worked self. Plus the man had stamina like no other.

She shook her head before the blush appeared. "What's first on the list?" she asked Shizune.

Shizune Kato was Tsunade's last known apprentice before Sakura. She was an exceptional physician with an added skill that was unmatched by any. She was the only person known to keep Tsunade on track with her hectic work schedule, and the only person alive to deny her mentor her much loved Sake in the middle of a work day.

That was a skill Sakura knew she could never achieve, not even with Inner by her side.

"We have three scheduled cesareans this morning," Shizune stated. "Tsunade wants you to do all three, with me right behind you of course."

Sakura nodded. "It wouldn't be the first time I've done so, but three in a row? That'll be something."

Shizune chuckled. "How are you by the way? I know you've been a bit sick lately. If you're not up to it just let me know."

"I'll be fine," she reassured. "I can handle whatever Tsunade needs me to handle," she added.

She needed to get a grip on her stress management. The very last thing any doctor in training needed to develop was squeamishness of any kind. The medical field was one of the most disgusting and cringe-worthy fields of work there was. Occupational hazards included blood, guts, vomit, urine, feces, pus, spit, unidentified fluids, genitalia, orifices of every kind and every foul smell that they came with was your standard day to day here. You better get a stomach of steel to thrive or go home crying.

"Just don't over-do it," Shizune advised. Sakura resisted rolling her eyes. "Anyway, before the surgeries you have a few rounds to do. Best get to it."

Sakura nodded and left to check up on her patients. She straightened her crisp white coat and made sure her badge was in place before wrapping her stethoscope around her neck as if it was the most valuable necklace in the world. Anything that could listen to the beautiful sounds of a human heart beat should be treated as such anyway.

She was ready to take on the day. She knocked on the door for her first appointment and introduced herself to the patient before quickly getting started with the exam.

"Tell me about your symptoms," she said to the young woman sitting on her exam table. Her patient took a deep breath before answering.

"I'm tired all the time. I can't keep anything down and I throw up out of nowhere. Everything makes me nauseous and I feel like everything smells ten times worse than it used to," she complained. "This is the worst flu I've ever had."

Sakura paused and blinked twice before writing something down on the chart.

"Have you been near anyone with the flu recently?"

"No."

"Have you eaten anything that could have upset your stomach?"

The patient looked embarrassed. "I've been eating like pig lately, especially at night. My husband's even grossed out when I put pickled fish and oranges in my omurice. But hey, he should try it first!" she added defensively.

Sakura sweat-dropped and wrote even more down in her chart. The more questions she asked, the more the patient's answers and symptoms mirrored her own, making the wheels in her brain finally start turning.

"Well we need to do some tests to rule out the flu," she said, although her heart started racing when she thought of the next logical thing it could be. "Any other symptoms you're forgetting?"

The patient shrugged. "I don't think so."

Sakura waited a beat as the sweat started accumulating in her palms. "When was your last period?"

The patient had to think about it for a moment before saying "It was around two months ago. I didn't notice that I'm late."

Sakura sure as hell didn't notice it as well, until now. She paled.

"_No. Oh no. No no no," _she chanted in her mind. There was just no way she missed something to stupidly obvious about her own body. She was so preoccupied with work and telling her father about the engagement that it took a patient with the same symptoms as her to figure it out.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. After an entire minute of silence, Sakura finally spoke.

"Before we consider the flu…," she began as the weight of her world came crashing down on her. "I'm going to have to ask you to take a pregnancy test."

"_Better take one with her!" _Inner screeched. "_Cause you're gonna need it! CHA!"_

* * *

Sai walked down the halls of the CIA, fully prepared to inform Kakashi about Sakura and himself. He didn't want to break his promise to her, but it was the only way to stop Danzo from re-grouping. It had been three days since the CIA had mobilized near the suspected Sound base. Since Kakashi had returned from that mission without the rest of the team, Sai suspected that their initial find was a dead end and the remaining operatives were still scouting the area.

The timing couldn't have been worse since Kakashi was bound to be heading back once they did find something, but Sai had to take it. Danzo had given the signal when the mission began, leading Sai to believe that the ROOT leader somehow believed that Orochimaru would indeed be there. It was his chance to disarm Kakashi with Sakura's death.

It had also been three days since Sai disobeyed orders. Danzo would come for him soon, and Sai would confront him about his new suspicions into why Danzo was so sure the Sound leader would be caught then.

Sai passed by the training area, not intending to stop by or pass any greeting to whomever was inside, when Naruto called out to him.

"Hey Sai!" he shouted. "What's going on?"

Sai stopped and peered inside the arena. He wasn't expecting any of the Tokyo branch Agents to be here, yet there Naruto stood with Neji Hyuga in the sparring ring. The paled eyed agent looked at Sai with suspicious eyes that he really couldn't blame him for.

"I have something to discuss with Kakashi," Sai replied curtly before walking off.

Naruto turned to Neji hesitantly. "You don't think he's gonna tell him about Sakura do you?"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "If that's the case then I hope he's prepared for retaliation."

Naruto shook his head. His gut was telling him to be on guard, and it was usually right. "I don't like this."

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: **

Kakashi watched as the paled- skinned Agent he thought he could trust stood before his desk. Sai appeared to be as calm and composed as the ANBU elite were trained to be. He stood completely still, eyes unwavering without a hint of perspiration to indicate any anxiety to pounce on. Yet Kakashi and his gifted eyesight could make out the faint beating of his pulse beneath the skin of his neck, accelerated just enough to tip his hand.

He was nervous, and smart enough to be so.

Kakashi wasn't prepared to have Sai enter his office at that moment. But one look in the ROOT Agent's eyes told him what was coming. He had seen all the signs, witnessed the bold action with his own eyes, yet still he didn't want to believe.

He decided to cut him off at the pass.

He plainly stated that Sai's mission to protect Sakura was to end, effective immediately.

Sai simply asked if other arraignments had been made, which only fueled his anger. For him to act so composed was just sickening.

"That's none of your concern!" Kakashi shouted as his composure was slowly cracking. He was losing control and fast. He had to get a grip on himself. "Stay away from my daughter."

But he saw the determination in Sai's deep black eyes when he boldly stated that he couldn't do that anymore; that she was more than just a mission. He looked deeply into the Sharingan eye that was unintentionally activated from pure fury, before he finally said it.

"I love her."

His composure snapped like a bone, and Kakashi's rage was instantaneous. His fist collided squarely with Sai's jaw, sending him reeling. Blood trickled down his chin, but he didn't care as he went in for another attack. Blind rage had consumed him.

Sai simply took everything, knowing it was due. Blow after painful blow came for what felt like hours, but even so he would endure. He resisted the instinct to counter attack as best he could.

From outside the office, several personnel made their way towards the commotion. Asuma and Guy ran into Yamato before the three of them ran towards Kakashi's office.

"What's going on? Kakashi!" Asuma shouted as he slammed his fist against the door.

The sounds of breaking furniture prompted Guy to shout at everyone to move out of the way. Naruto and Neji had just made it to the office when Guy bust the door down with a solid kick.

The door fell off its hinges just in time for them to see Kakashi send another punch into Sai's gut.

"Kakashi!" Asuma shouted as he rammed into his side. Kakashi shoved back and lunged for Sai again, sending another punch to his cheek before being tackled by Guy.

"Calm yourself Kakashi!" Guy shouted as he grabbed his arms. "Regain control over your youthful spirit!"

"I'll kill you!" Kakashi shouted to the debilitated Sai. "Stay away from Sakura!"

Asuma and Yamato took hold of Kakashi from all angles and forced him back while Guy pushed his chest to stop his momentum. Even with three agents restraining him, Kakashi's rage sent his adrenaline spiking to dangerous levels. It was taking everything they had just to hold him back.

Sai's head was spinning from the pain, but inside he was just glad he finally said it. He felt himself being pulled up by two pairs of arms and dragged out of the office. He was in bad shape, and could vaguely make out the outline of Naruto and Neji as they took him to the infirmary.

"Hang on we're taking you to Granny Tsunade!" Naruto shouted with wide eyes. He had never seen Kakashi lose control that way before. Sai was beaten to a pulp.

Sai groaned as his ability to remain conscious weakened. He thought about Sakura, and how he would undoubtedly bring her pain when she found out. He focused on her sweet smiling face, before passing out.

* * *

**CIA Medical Ward**:

Tsunade had had quite an interesting day. The head Medical Doctor of Japan's CIA—as well as Asia in general— found herself tending to one of Danzo Shinamura's ROOT Agents. That bastard would never allow his pawns to be examined by her or any of her personnel. He kept a tight leash on his Agents for reasons she had yet to understand, so in order for this encounter to happen, Danzo must have been unaware. It was the only explanation she could find.

But this particular Agent was of special interest to her, as he had been orbiting her apprentice like a hawk for her safety. Tsunade wasn't an idiot. She knew that there was a relationship there; one that could potentially destroy the both of them if they were dumb enough to take it lightly. She couldn't blame Sakura too much on that account. She only knew half of the story after all.

Sai on the other hand knew enough where all of the blame could be placed on his shoulders.

He simply held onto his ice pack as Tsunade grilled him about his choice to confront Kakashi now of all times.

"Do you have any idea of how close we are to finding Orochimaru?" she huffed as she glared daggers at him. "Your secret was the last thing he needed to hear, even though he should have realized much sooner what was happening," she mumbled more to herself.

Sai simply sifted the ice pack over his cheek. Tsunade assessed his calm demeanor carefully. She could see beyond the composure to the crackling foundation. His X-Rays showed that there wasn't really any internal injury to worry about, but he still had to be in enormous pain from the assault. She had to sedate Kakashi, and any man that high on adrenaline and rage was capable of severe damage.

"Why now?" she asked abruptly when he didn't say anything. "What made you decide to tell him now?"

Sai didn't meet her gaze as he thought about Danzo and his plans to take Kakashi down. He could never tell anyone of what the ROOT leader was planning. There was no need since he effectively nullified the threat by going against orders. But there was a part of him now that could admit more selfish motives.

He simply didn't want to lose Sakura.

If Kakashi or anyone in the CIA ever found out about his _original_ mission to kill her, Sai wouldn't blame them one bit if they shot him mercilessly where he stood. It wouldn't matter that he had come around. It wouldn't matter that he had been protecting her for years now. They would take her away from him, or worse… tell her what he was going to do.

Sai realized he would sooner die than see her face after hearing that.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. She had been watching Sakura closely for weeks now and knew that it was only a matter of days before she realized her condition, if she didn't already. Sai was clearly unaware, which meant there was another reason he wanted to confront Kakashi about their relationship.

She assessed his beaten face and felt just a bit of sympathy for the misguided boy. Though Kakashi and maybe most others didn't believe in his love for Sakura, Tsunade could certainly see his struggle with his feelings for her apprentice.

She folder her arms under her ample chest and sighed. "It's best that you get back to Sakura as soon as possible. She'll know right away that her father did this to you," she warned.

He nodded and put the ice pack down. "And Sai," she said as he reached the door. "Protect my student with everything you are. If you don't, I'll personally destroy you."

He met her gaze then and nodded. "I will."

* * *

Sakura sat on the couch, munching on an apple and trying not to have a nervous breakdown. How could she be so stupid? How was she going to tell Sai? _When_ for that matter?

Not to mention, what would her father say? It was a miracle he hadn't found out about her sleeping arrangements yet, let alone her relationship with Sai, but _this_…

She jumped when she heard the knock on the door. She put her apple down and went to open it… and nearly screamed.

"Sai," she gasped. Sai walked in shut the door behind him. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

His face was bruised. His lip was cut with dried blood in corner of his mouth and one of his eyes looked swollen. Her hand barely touched his abdomen, but he cringed a bit making her worry escalate.

Vivid memories of the time he saved her from getting hit by a truck flooded her mind and filled her with fear.

He stared at her worried face and hated that he would only add to her pain by explaining what had happened. But it had to be done. "I had to tell him."

Her eyes widened with shock before melting in horror. Her father? Her daddy did this to him. He hurt her Sai? Tears sprang from her eyes as Sai enveloped her into his arms.

"How could he do this?" she whispered as she clung to him. He tried not to flinch, but she must have felt something because she quickly pulled away. "Let me take a look."

She pulled his shirt away and nearly collapsed when she saw all the bruises along his abs. Her father had viciously attacked him. Sai could only watch helplessly as she cried in anguish, both for his injuries and the knowledge that her father was the one to do it.

He held onto her again and simply let her cry. He knew no amount of telling her he was okay would do anything to make her feel better. He didn't regret his decision, but he only wished that it didn't hurt her as much as it did. After she had tended to his wounds, they lay in bed together as she cried herself dry in Sai's arms.

Seeing her so devastated pained him. "We can put the wedding off until he comes around," Sai offered as her tears soaked through his shirt.

Sakura shook her head. "He'll never come around. Maybe in time afterwards, but I don't want us to wait," she said as she held his face tenderly in her hands. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as the tears fell again.

She had apologized to him numerous times on her father's behalf, and each time he told her that it wasn't her fault. Sakura couldn't forgive herself though. She had always thought her violent side came from Tsunade's influence, but now that she saw what her father was capable of, she felt a new sense of self-loathing for every time she hit him in the past.

Sai wiped the tears from her eyes. "I can endure much worse, and I would if it meant I could be with you," he said to her broken form. "I love you."

"I love you too… so much." She kissed him and settled herself against him again. She fell asleep in his arms, determined to make their new life together work, as well as face her father with what he'd done.

Until then, her other news would just have to wait.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV**:

He knew she'd come to confront him. He was surprised it took her a week after the incident to do it, but in the end he was glad. He needed the time to compose himself. So there she stood, just outside the door to her childhood home.

She refused to come inside.

She looked at him with eyes full of disbelief and unshed tears. "How could you?" she whispered. "How could you do that to him?"

"How could you do this to yourself?" Kakashi returned. "Sakura how long have you been with him? How could you compromise your future for someone you barely know?"

"_You_ barely know him!" she shouted. "_I_ know him. I've known him for years! He was my friend! He was—"

"Never your friend," he interjected. "You're too young and too smart for this! How could I let this slip past me?" he said more to himself.

"Slip past you?" she asked incredulously. "Does everything I do or anyone I meet have to be evaluated and approved by you? What were you going to do if you knew? Forbid me from seeing him?"

"I would have done everything I could to stop it," he admitted. She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. "You moved out of your dorm!" he stated, forcing her to look away. "You spend all your time with him and now you're about to marry him at nineteen before you finish school! Everything doesn't have to be approved by me Sakura but when you make choices like those do you really expect me to trust your judgment?"

Sakura still, briefly shocked that he knew that much and worried if he knew _even more_. When he put everything that way, it really did sound like she was a stupid teenager getting carried away with her boyfriend. But he didn't know Sai, and once again he was proving how much he didn't really know her.

"I have _always_ expected you to trust me," she whispered brokenheartedly. "But you never do. You don't think I can take care of myself. You don't think I'm strong enough to take two steps without you. You think I'm _weak_."

"I don't think you're—"

"Yes you do and you always will!" she shouted. "Why? I'm young, but I'm about to become a doctor! I'm small but I can beat the life out of almost anyone that crosses me! I never had a _mom_ but I'm… I'm—" she paused as two tears escaped her eyes.

Her father's eyes took on a sadness that she hated putting there. "I never knew Mom… but wasn't she just like me? You've always told me so. You told me how strong she was. How smart she was. How she was able to have me so young… because she _loved you_?"

She was trembling now as her father's pain over the loss of his young wife showed. She knew he had lost many friends and family members in the police force, including his own father. She knew he visited their graves along with her mother's grave often. She knew that her father could understand how strong love could be, regardless of age.

She just didn't understand why he couldn't do it for her. "I love Sai… as much as Mom loved you," she continued. "I know it was my fault for keeping this from you for so long… but can't you see that I'm happy with him? Can't you see how he did nothing wrong but be happy with me? How could you hurt him like that?"

Kakashi's expression was one of silent defeat. He knew there was nothing he could say to explain himself or his reasons for doing it. She didn't know about the CIA, or how this was all his fault at the end of the day. But she expected a response, and the least he could do was give her one.

"You're making a mistake," he said simply. "I don't doubt that you care for him… but you're too young to know the magnitude of what you're getting into."

"So that gave you the right to hurt the man I love?" she replied angrily. "Because that's who he is. _I love him_," she whispered.

He kept giving her that unmoving look of his, and she knew that nothing more she said about her situation would help. This was it. "I'm getting married and I'm—,"she swallowed before shaking her head.

Her hand subconsciously moved to her abdomen for barely a second before moving, but his sharp eyes noticed the gesture. His eyes widened with the fleeting understanding that maybe _he_ was the one who didn't understand the magnitude of the situation.

"I know you think I'm young, but please see me marry him, or don't see me at all," she said as her voice trembled.

They stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment more—hers brimming with tears and his stoic and unmoving—before she turned around and left. Kakashi waited until she was out of sight before dropping to his knees in despair.

* * *

Sai expected to be summoned after the incident. Danzo didn't disappoint as the order was issued a few days after Kakashi's outburst.

Sai turned in the designated alley and saw Danzo emerge from the shadows. The ROOT leader examined his beaten face and sneered.

"Are you in such a hurry to die?" he asked. "Because I can make that happen in a heartbeat."

"I don't plan on dying now or anytime soon," Sai answered. "And I'm well aware that you can't kill me without any inquiries into your dealings, or you would have done so already."

Danzo simply stared at him with his good eye. "You have failed me. I have no further use for an Agent that succumbs to the weakness of human attachment."

"Love isn't a weakness," Sai countered. "And Kakashi will never falter in his leading of the CIA. Your plan is simply futile."

"Oh really?" Danzo said airily. "You think Kakashi wouldn't be the least bit affected by the death of his daughter? He's as much of a fool as you are."

Sai shook his head, anger bubbling in his soul for his former leader. "Your plan is futile because you will never be able to kill Sakura. _I won't let you_," he said dangerously.

Danzo looked at him sharply at the declaration. The eyes that were once trained to forever remain devoid of feelings were now narrowed and intense with rage. He had been broken by a mere girl.

"You're not the only Agent I have at my disposal," he returned. "You can't always protect her, and once you're rid of her you'll come back to your senses."

"I'm the best Agent you have," Sai reminded. "Your other Agents don't stand a chance against me and you know it." He was never one to boast about himself, but he welcomed the satisfying feeling he got when the ROOT Leader begrudgingly acknowledged that fact.

Danzo looked at him loathingly, knowing he was right. This one was truly the best Agent he had, which is why he was assigned to this mission. To think that he would _fall in love_ with the target was unimaginable. He had adopted his fake identity and forgotten his training; something that was no easy task.

Danzo didn't hold anything personal against Sakura Haruno per say. The only reason he wanted her dead was to distract not only Kakashi, but his tight-knit unit of elite Junior and Senior Agents that supported him. That girl was the lynchpin that held Kakashi and subsequently his team together, but now he had a personal hate for her. What was so special about her? She was nothing to boast about and to think that she had seduced someone like a ROOT Agent made his blood boil.

"I will no longer work for you," Sai declared. "I resign. I know you can't touch Kakashi now. He's too respected to be taken down. You've lost this Danzo."

"Watch it boy," Danzo warned. He looked at his former Agent appraisingly. "You think you can walk away from ROOT just like that? Life is never quite that simple. I may not be able to touch you now, but don't get too comfortable. You've done exactly what I've trained you not to do and acquired a weakness. Some of you just need to learn the hard way I suppose."

Danzo simply turned and walked back into the shadows, leaving Sai standing in the ally and staring hard at the spot he had occupied.

Sai knew a threat when he heard one, but he had something to protect now. He sure as hell wouldn't let Danzo take that away from him.

* * *

They decided to get married two weeks later, after Sai had some time to heal from his injuries. The preparations for the wedding were few and quickly done. It was just the two of them and a government wedding officant that agreed to perform the ceremony by the Sakura tree where they first declared their love for each other. Sakura found her very simple gown at a thrift store. Her hair was clipped back simply and she wore no jewelry other than her ring, but Sai never thought she looked more beautiful.

She seemed to be glowing even more than usual. He attributed this observation simply to his own happiness at this day: the day he would make her a vow.

"I will love you and protect you beyond what is earthly possible," he promised, making her eyes water.

"I'll love you more, and keep on loving you beyond time and ourselves," she returned.

As heartbroken as she was about her father, Sakura still felt as though she had a parent present at her wedding. The Sakura tree was in full bloom, swaying gently with the breeze, as if her mother was present and giving her blessing.

The Officiate properly declared them man and wife before they shared their first kiss as a married couple. The bittersweet day was one they would never forget, but more importantly it was something they silently vowed never to regret.

Kakashi watched forlornly from his spot in the trees just beyond the lake. His Sharingan eye blazed with grief as he read every word they exchanged and declared for each other. So young and so bold was their love that it reminded him of Rin. He could only hope that his delicate little Sakura could endure what life would throw at her next.

* * *

Sakura made some tea in the kitchen, bracing herself to tell her _husband _what she had been too afraid to tell him for a few weeks now.

They had been married for one week; one wonderful week where she chose to give herself the time to simply be his wife. She may be a "Mrs." in title, but Sai had encouraged her to keep Haruno as her surname. He said his own surname of Arisugaki simply didn't suit her, and that she should keep her mother's name in honor of her. On Sai's end, he simply couldn't find it in himself to make her adopt a false name. She had a real identity and he would never take that away from her.

Sakura agreed, and did everything she could to enjoy her time with him, but she knew she couldn't hide it any longer. Sai was beginning to notice something was off about her, but she was just too scared to tell him. It was too soon and she had been too chicken to tell him before the wedding, but she was starting to show. It had to be now.

He was sitting in the corner with his art, consumed in another ink drawing he was so fond of. She put a cup of tea in front him and took a sip of her own. He thanked her quietly before resuming his work.

She sat on the opposite end of the table.

"Sai…,"

It was barely a whisper, but he heard her loud and clear. He paused and looked up, only to see the anxiety on her face. The cup in her hands shook, threatening to spill the hot liquid within.

"Sakura what is it?"

She braced herself, knowing that she was about to change their lives forever. Her eyes glossed over with tears. It just got harder as the seconds went by.

"I'm pregnant."

Her words—spoken with the barest of whispers—seemed to echo off of the walls of their tiny apartment.

Sai stilled for ten long seconds as her words penetrated his mind, before he dropped his ink and got up abruptly. He stood in complete shock for the first time since discovering his love for her.

She was looking at him with tender eyes, yet he could see the apprehension behind them. He was at a complete loss for words. This was something completely unfathomable, and he had no preparation whatsoever for its consequences.

His shocked expression was her undoing as she broke down in tears. "I'm sorry," she choked, confusing him. "I know this is too soon, but…"

He snapped out of his stupor and quickly made his way to her before taking her into his arms. The sight of her in tears always made him respond. He wiped her cheeks with his thumb.

She was going to give him a _child_. Every fiber in his being tingled at the thought, and though he had yet to dive into the scale of it all, he still knew one thing that was absolute. Her took her face in his hands and waited until he had her eyes.

"I love you, and I'll protect you," he vowed. "Through everything you'll go through and anything that could harm you… or the child. I'll protect you both with everything I am."

And it was true. His wedding vows weren't just mere words to him. He had never made a pledge of any kind in his lifetime, yet the one he gave her on the day of their wedding was a solid and unbreakable.

More tears sprang from her eyes as he kissed her forehead tenderly. She was too emotional to form any words and simply let him comfort her in his arms.

His hand grazed her lower belly as he held her against him. He knew something was on her mind for the past few weeks, as she had been more preoccupied than he had ever seen her. He never imagined that pregnancy was the reason. He knew she was frightened and overwhelmed by this discovery. He shared her fear, but he was determined to do what it took to see her through this.

Their child depended on him for it.

* * *

**Sunagakure Medical Center: **

Sakura waited until her next work day to tell Tsunade. Sai had been nothing but amazing as he held her all night and tried his best to sooth her anxiety, yet telling Tsunade presented a new set of worry.

She might just die today.

"Do you have a minute?" Sakura asked from the doorway of Tsunade's office.

Her mentor glanced at her from her paperwork and nodded to the empty chair in front of her desk. Sakura sat down and waited for her to finish before saying anything more. She was nervous as hell and knew Tsunade would want to kill her for getting pregnant at this point in her life.

Tsunade continued to let her fidget in her seat as she put the last touches on her paperwork and leaned back. "What did you want to discuss?" she asked in a way that made Sakura even more nervous.

Tsunade was not someone to be trifled with. Those calculating brown eyes of hers were more astute and sensitive than a microscope in her opinion. They also put the fear of total retribution into your bones. If Sakura thought she could kick ass, she was nothing compared to Tsunade.

Sakura cleared her throat. "I… just wanted to let you know that…," she swallowed when Tsunade's eyes narrowed even further. "I'm not going to slow down at all. I'll work until the very last minute and even then any moment I can, because you know that I can."

Tsunade waited, enjoying the way her apprentice squirmed. She deserved that much at the very least. She looked like she was trying not to throw up.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you that—"

"You've gotten yourself pregnant," she interjected, much to her students shock. "At nineteen in the middle of your residency and just before your added fellowship at a time where you really couldn't afford anymore distractions," she added intensely.

Sakura sat in shock for a full minute. She really shouldn't have been shocked at all. Tsunade wasn't known as a legend for nothing.

"Yes," her pupil replied unapologetically. "But that won't slow me down," she reminded.

Tsunade leaned back in her seat, assessing her nervous wreck of a student with mirth. "You may have surpassed your peers in school, and you may have been above average for the entirety of your life," she began carefully. "But this child will demand anything and everything you have and then some. _Do not take that responsibility lightly_."

"Who says I would take it lightly?" she countered, anger rising in her chest at her lack of faith in her. "Have I taken anything lightly thus far?"

"We'll see about that," Tsunade replied as she tossed the paperwork she had just finished in Sakura's direction. She caught it and looked down. "I will not go any easier on you due to this pregnancy and I know you're not asking me too. But it will certainly make things that much more difficult for you. You'll be put through the gauntlet Sakura. In your hands is a detailed plan of that gauntlet, all of which I expect you to master by the end of your fellowship."

Sakura studied the plan and saw just how much Tsunade realized her struggle. "It will not be easy," Tsunade continued. "You must master everything or you will not become the doctor I know you can be. But you also have to think of someone else now, and take care of yourself."

She looked over her flustered apprentice wearily. "Frankly I don't trust that you're capable of that part," she deadpanned. Sakura looked up and frowned. "You're stubborn as hell and the last thing I want is for you to give birth on the job. That baby deserves a healthy gestation. That's where Sai comes in."

Sakura looked at her in surprise once more. "Sai?"

Sakura had formally introduced Sai to Tsunade just before the wedding, even though it was all an act on their part. She had no idea they had any other interaction after that.

Tsunade gave her an amused look. "Getting you pregnant is only half the job and I've taken the liberty to remind him of that. He'll take care of you while you take care of the baby. It's the way it works. Your father understood that much when your mother was about to have you."

Sakura stilled at the mention of her father. She couldn't forgive him for what he did. The pain was still too raw to handle. "I guess the apple doesn't fall that far from the tree then," she replied. Her father had her at the age of eighteen, and if Sakura calculated right she would have her child at twenty. It wasn't any better.

"Not often," Tsunade said dryly. "But you and your father aren't just ordinary people. He grew up fast and could handle you, but he had a lot of help. You can't be so stubborn that you assume you can do this on your own. Rely on that husband of yours and don't give up on your father. He has his own demons to deal with."

In truth Kakashi had many things keeping him up at night. The Orochimaru investigation ended just after his last encounter with Sakura. They found the Sound leaders decomposing body inside his main base, with everything inside destroyed and every Sound operative left for dead.

Someone had done the CIA's job _for them_.

It was deeply unsettling to think there was someone out there capable of such an act, because they realized that the only reason they found the Sound base was because everyone had been dead for months, leaving no one to maintain their seclusion. But as disturbing as that knowledge was, Kakashi was further lamenting the loss of his relationship with his daughter. He had sacrificed so much to solve the biggest case the CIA had thus far, only to watch his only child walk farther and farther away from him.

Tsunade focused on her apprentice then.

Sakura stared into the corner forlornly. There was so much to deal with and she didn't want the baby to be born with so much chaos. Her hand smoothed over her still small belly reflexively.

Tsunade noticed the movement and softened her tone. "You're probably due sometime in July am I correct?"

Her apprentice nodded. "In the middle of summer."

"Then do everything you must to prepare," she said before leaning back in her seat. "As you're doctor, I'm suggest that you to take all the advice I've taught you to give to others in your condition. Enough said."

Sakura nodded and got up to leave. "And Sakura," Tsunade said before she reached the door. She looked back and waited. Her mentor allowed the tiniest of smiles to appear. "Congratulations."

* * *

On a grassy knoll located on a secluded section of a popular recreational park, a lone figure lay on his back against the green and stared up a the blue sky, pillowed with soft white clouds.

Shikamaru Nara took advantage of being in Kyoto for the day to have some much needed alone time. Earlier, he had taken care of some personal business with his in-laws at their flower shop, as well as meeting with his father-in-law, who worked for the intelligence division of the Kyoto branch of the CIA. Inoichi used to like Shikamaru... until he discovered some news regarding his daughter Ino that suddenly changed the man's opinion of him in a drastic manner.

He sighed, recalling the troublesome morning he had with his irrational family. To top it off, Naruto had messaged him and asked him for a favor. He agreed and waited for the favor to arrive at the designated meeting spot.

He heard the footsteps approach and got up to begin the task.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Shikamaru asked as he eyed the ROOT Agent wearily.

Sai nodded in greeting. "Naruto suggested that I speak to you since you might be able to provide me with some valuable insight. As a tactician, I would greatly appreciate your input."

Sai had turned to Naruto just after Sakura told him about her pregnancy. Naruto was once again caught off guard by the news, but after the initial shock wore off, he was happy for him.

He mentioned knowing three guys who were expectant fathers that Sai could talk too. Since one of them was a civilian friend from Naruto's childhood that knew nothing of the CIA, he was excluded from consideration. Another one happen to be Kiba Inuzuka from the canine unit, however Naruto suggested going to Shikamaru Nara, the CIA's up and coming tactician and strategist.

"Insight into what exactly?" Shikamaru asked carefully as he fished for a smoke. Since Ino was pregnant, he drastically cut down on the smoking and even attempted to quit for her sake. Inoichi all but demanded he quit for his daughters sake. But he still slipped from time to time and decided to take full advantage of this meeting.

"It has come to my knowledge that you have impregnated Sakura's childhood friend Ino," he stated making Shikamaru choke on the cigarette in his mouth. "How are you handling that?"

Shikamaru continued to wheeze into his fist. He wasn't expecting this topic from a ROOT Agent of all people. "There's nothing to handle. She's pregnant and will give birth, after which life will change for the both of us."

Sai nodded in understanding. "I have impregnated Sakura," he stated, making Shikamaru cough again. Sai pulled out a photo from his pocket and held it up. "She is currently four months along. This is a sonogram of her gestating uterus," he explained as he donned his signature half smile and pointed to a spot on the image. "Note the penis, which indicates that my child is male."

Shikamaru sweat-dropped. "Congratulations," he replied dryly. He massaged the back of his neck, already exasperated with the conversation.

Sai tucked the photo away. "How did Yamanaka's parents receive the news once they found out you've violated their daughter?" he asked seriously.

Shikamaru nearly fell over. "What the—I didn't violate her!" he shouted. "Man talking to you is such a drag."

"I simply wish to learn from the experiences of others," Sai explained. "I've read that impregnating a woman can lead to much hostility from her father. Have you encountered paternal rage and should I expect the same from Kakashi?"

The CIA tactician looked at him wearily. "Considering that Kakashi almost killed you for telling him you simply love Sakura, I'd say he'll be a bit more homicidal with this news, if he doesn't already know," he said before sighing. "Ino's dad was the same."

Shikamaru sighed again recalling the events leading up to Ino's pregnancy. He may have forgotten their one year anniversary since they began dating. That led to a big fight, which led to some make-up sex, which led to him getting her pregnant and royally screwed.

"Sakura is worried that he'll react violently again if he finds out," Sai confessed. "I don't want her to worry any more than she has to."

"Then do what she wants and don't make her angry," he replied. "It's a lot less troublesome that way. Besides, I'm sure Kakashi already knows. I wouldn't mess with him anymore than you already have."

Sai nodded, accepting the probability that Kakashi most likely knew about the baby. With Tsunade as Sakura's physician, he wouldn't be surprised. He still felt that it was his responsibility as the son-in-law to personally inform his father-in-law, but Sakura was too afraid of repeating past events.

Sai never wanted to see such devastation from his wife ever again. It still overwhelmed him to know that there was such a person this world that would cry for him, let alone love him. He would do anything to prevent her from getting hurt again, and if that meant keeping his distance from Kakashi, then so be it.

He thanked his Tokyo Branch College for his input before leaving to return to Sakura.

Shikamaru simply nodded in response and watched him leave before his phone alerted him to a message. He sighed and opened the text from Ino. He read the message for ten seconds before choking on his cigarette and staring wide eyed at the picture she sent him.

It was a sonogram of her "gestating uterus". He didn't have to be the genius he was to know there were two babies in that picture. Ino's bolded caption of "Twins" followed by "I'm going to kill your pineapple-headed ass" didn't help matters.

The CIA tactician dropped to his knees in disbelief. As much as his foresight was valued, he sure as hell didn't see that coming.

"Troublesome," he muttered in defeat.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

May was coming to an end and the summer heat was already making itself known. Sakura threw her coat over her arm and exited the hospital after a hectic shift. Tsunade wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't go any easier on her due to her condition. At eight months pregnant, she was pushed to her limits.

"I can't wait for you to come out already," she muttered tiredly to her unborn baby. "Don't get me wrong, I love you _so much_. But Mommy's bladder can only take so much at once."

Her growing belly didn't slow her down as much as she thought it would, but it certainly didn't help matters. She had to pee constantly due to the pressure on her bladder and got the munchies every fifteen minutes, which wasn't easy to satisfy with such a jam packed schedule. Her heightened sense of smell was nearly her undoing in the hospital setting, but she reigned in her gag reflex as best she could. It would only make her stronger in the long run.

She only had two more months to go before her baby came. She and Sai had spent the past few months preparing for his arrival. Her Residency would also be ending and her Fellowship would begin soon after she delivered. She decided to specialize in OB/GYN after all. She had excelled in every rotation she took and was capable of handling other specialties, but she had a renewed sense of sympathy for pregnant women everywhere.

She paused in her stride as a powerful kick was delivered within her. She flinched before smiling and patting her side, hoping her little one knew she was one her way to feed him. He had been kicking her repeatedly for the past hour, demanding nourishment.

She had an hour before Sai would come and pick her up. Sakura had asked him to get all the groceries she would need to make dinner tonight, but she was starving and needed something now. She walked down the pathway that led to the nearby park, where the weekly food stands were located.

She made it to the stand, which was selling a variety of grilled items that smelled divine at the moment. She stood in the mercifully short line and ordered one of everything they had to offer before stepping aside to wait.

She was about to call Sai and let him know where she was when someone bumped into her and nearly fell from losing their footing. Sakura grabbed the woman—whom she noticed was also pregnant— before she stumbled over herself.

"Whoa be careful," she chided. The woman righted herself and turned to look at her helper. Her eyes widened when she got a good look.

"I'm sorry," the brunette apologized. "Oh, and I'm especially sorry it was you that helped me. You shouldn't be doing this kind of thing."

Sakura only rolled her eyes. "I may be pregnant but I'm strong, and I wasn't about to let a fellow mom-to-be fall flat on her ass. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine thank you."

She looked worn out and nervous. Sakura felt bad for her, wondering just what her circumstances were. She looked young, possibly the same age as herself. The vendor rang them both up to get their order. He switched their orders, having confused the two women for each other.

"It's the eyes you see," the Vendor explained. "You both have the same color eyes. I guess I mixed you two up."

They both turned to notice that they did indeed have the same color eyes. Smiling, they both thanked the vendor for their snacks. Sakura didn't know if it was the woman's sad demeanor that compelled her to talk to her, but something about her tugged at her heart. She looked so lost.

"What did you get?" she asked. The woman looked surprised that Sakura was still talking to her.

"A salad," she answered. Sakura eyed the container and raised her brow.

"Would you like any lettuce with your tomatoes and… is that ketchup?" she asked. She was pleased when the woman actually smiled.

"Huh…I guess it does look bizarre. The vendor was nice enough to accommodate my cravings. My baby seems to favor anything tomato flavored," she explained, making Sakura chuckle.

"Well I have an amazing beef and tomato stir-fry recipe I'm sure you'd love. I can write it down for you if you'd like," she offered. The woman smiled and eyed Sakura's plate before raised her own brow. "Yeah, my baby's still trying to figure it out," she said sheepishly as she looked down at her container filled with a little bit of everything in the cart. "You think he'd have it down by now."

"You're having a son," the woman stated. Sakura smiled, running a hand over her belly.

"In two more months I am," she clarified. "Do you know what you're having?"

The woman nodded, her smile increasing a bit. "I just found out today. I'm having a girl."

Sakura smiled. "Congratulations! You're about six months along correct?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm a doctor myself," she answered somewhat proudly. The woman looked like she didn't believe her, leading Sakura to guide them to a bench and dish out her history.

Sakura explained that she worked at the nearby hospital and how she managed to get there so young. The woman seemed impressed, asking questions about how she liked that particular hospital and its staff. Their conversation was mild and eventually turned to their personal lives. They briefly discussed their husbands, discovering more commonalities with how they both generally looked.

"Dominant genes usually win," Sakura lamented. "But that might be a good thing for me. I don't think my son would appreciate my hair color."

The brunette smiled. "So there's no chance of passing on our eye color?"

"There's a small chance, so let's hope one of them gets our eyes," Sakura replied. "They were the only thing I got from my mom."

"Let's hope."

"But unfortunately, given what we know about our husbands, I think their genes are the ones our babies are going to get," she said sighing. "But either way, I love my husband's dark hair and eyes."

The woman nodded, not divulging her acceptance of her own husband's traits. Sakura sensed there might be some underlying problem within this woman's marriage. She didn't seem too enthused about it. She didn't want to pry, but decided to say this and leave it at that.

"Did you know that children tend to favor their fathers in appearance in their first few years of life?"

Her companion raised a brow. Sakura nodded and continued. "Anthropologically, it was thought that men were more likely to stay and protect their young if they resembled them somehow."

The woman merely chuckled. "Is it that obvious that my marriage isn't so great?"

Sakura actually blushed in embarrassment "Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest—"

"It's true," she confirmed. "My marriage isn't what I thought it would be. It's not bad though. My husband treats me well and takes good care of me," she said, making Sakura tilt her head in confusion.

"Well, if you don't mind my asking, what seems to be the problem?" she asked. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. It just seems to me like you need to get something off your chest."

The woman looked at her hesitantly, as if debating whether or not to spill her secrets to this pink-haired stranger. Sakura decided to help her along. "Do you live here?" she asked.

The woman shook her head. "I live in Tokyo," she replied. "I'm here in Kyoto with my family on business, and I decided to have my appointment here to save time."

Sakura nodded. "Well I live here in Kyoto. We haven't even introduced ourselves, but chances are we won't ever see each other again. Since we live so far apart, and I don't even know your name, there's no reason for you to fear that whatever your hiding will get back to your family. I'm a virtual stranger to you, and will probably remain that way. Your secrets are safe with me."

Her bench-mate looked down at her belly before making up her mind. "I don't love him," she confessed.

"Your husband?" she asked. The woman nodded.

"Not romantically," she clarified. "I love him as a friend, and father of my baby. But I can't say that I'm in love with him."

Sakura didn't know what to say to that. She was anticipating something a bit more extreme, but this was even more delicate. "Well, did this happen over time? Or were you never in love?"

The brunette looked down at her plate, picking up a tomato and eating one before saying "There was never any love to begin with. It was an arranged marriage. We've barley been married for eight months."

"Why did you agree to do it?" Sakura asked incredulously. "If you didn't love him, why go through with that?"

"My father is dying."

Sakura stilled before looking away.

"He wanted me to marry my husband for the good of the company, so I did it to make him happy. He doesn't have long, and he made one final wish to have a grandchild before he left."

Sakura tried not to get upset, but she was getting angry on her companions behalf. What a selfish thing for a parent to demand on their child. This woman's father gave no regard for her feelings and saddled her with an unhappy life and miserable pregnancy.

"Don't think too harshly of my father," she said, sensing Sakura's distress. "He was only trying to make sure I was going to be alright."

Sakura couldn't help but frown. "He still should have considered your feelings. This is your life, and you don't look happy about it at all." She briefly thought about her own father, whom she hadn't spoken to in months. The pain was still there, but so was the empathy she could feel for this woman.

The woman shook her head. "It was me who agreed at the end. I made my choice and now I must live with it."

Sakura didn't know what more to say. She didn't know how to encourage the woman about taking control of her life without suggesting she separate from her husband. She was about to have his baby, and the last thing she wanted to do was start a rift that could leave the baby fatherless in the future. Her husband didn't sound so bad, so she decided to use a different approach and have her find happiness in what she already has.

"Tell me about your husband," Sakura said after a moment. "You said he took good care of you. He can't be that hard to get along with."

The brunette looked thoughtful. "He's a good man. He's not very talkative or social," she added. "He does what needs to be done and moves right along."

"Is he _handsome_?" Sakura asked pointedly. The woman saw her wiggling her eyebrows and cracked a smile.

"I suppose so," she replied. Sakura wanted more details though.

"Aww come on, you've got to give me more than that," she said teasingly. "Describe him."

"He's tall," she began. "He's got black eyes and really dark hair that stands up in the back, almost like a chicken," she said making Sakura laugh. "It suits him though."

"He sounds interesting," Sakura said wistfully. "How did he feel about the marriage?"

"Indifferent," she replied. "Which is just how I like it."

Sakura frowned. "You can't mean that."

"I do, because I'm I love with someone else," she confessed, startling Sakura further. The drama continues.

"Oh my…," Sakura was at a loss for words. "How can you go on like this?"

"He knows about it," she added, making Sakura almost fall off the bench.

"What?!"

"We're both in agreement that we need not love each other. He does not love me any more than I do not love him."

Sakura didn't trust herself to speak and opted to just take a few bites of her mighty meal. The baby had been kicking her spleen, demanding to be fed lest he break her rib from the internal temper tantrum. She took a few bites, savoring the food and taking the time to gather her thoughts. She had to get going to meet Sai soon, but felt compelled to help this woman somehow. The baby she carried was going to have serious parental issues to deal with later.

"So this other guy," Sakura said after a beat. "What's his deal?"

"He's long gone."

"So he left you?" she persisted.

"I left him," she answered. "He would have been dragged through this mess If I didn't let him go," she turned at watched her seatmate carefully. "Sorry I'm laying this all on you. I know I must seem pathetic going on about my seemingly impossible melodrama. It's just nice to talk to someone about it."

"Hey, I'm the one that asked," Sakura replied. "And I don't mind listening to your woes. I'd just like to help you out somehow or give you some advice you can take away, but I'm young myself and I haven't lived long enough to come up with something I trust."

"I appreciate the thought," she replied. Sakura looked at her and decided to give her this.

"A baby changes everything," she began. "The way you talk about this kid makes her sound like the end, when really she's the beginning of a whole world of possibilities for you and your husband. She'll be something you both have in common, someone you can finally bond over and learn to love together. You two may have had this agreement to keep your hearts out of your marriage, but I promise you that that baby won't let you keep that promise. She'll steal your hearts the minute you set eyes on her."

The woman looked at her and saw complete determination at that promise. She really believed they could bond over their baby.

Sakura finished her meal and crumpled up her trash before standing up. She had to get going soon. She looked down at the woman and gave her a sincere smile.

"To love is up to you and your husband," she began. "But to be _beloved_ by one another, especially in your case, would be the best start you can get. Don't stop yourself from trying. Your baby deserves to be beloved by both of you."

The woman simply nodded. "Thank you."

Sakura gave her one last smile before heading down the path, hopeful that the stranger she met today found some encouragement.

Aya Jin Uchiha watched her pink haired confidant waddle away, before looking down at her belly thoughtfully. She knew that her mysterious friend would be an amazing and loving mother; the kind of mother her baby daughter deserved.

"Beloved…," she mused, patting her belly when she felt the baby kick.

"You are beloved. You always will be then… Suki," she whispered smiling.

* * *

**Authors Note: **

The chapter was too long so I made a part 3. It's the last part. More Notes at the end. I hope you enjoyed thus far. JUST THANKS FOR READING IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR!


	3. Chapter 3

**Wake Me Up Inside: The Ballad of Sai and Sakura Part 3**

* * *

**Authors Note: Final part! Enjoy! **

* * *

**Sai's POV:**

Sai watched his wife constantly as the weeks went by. He was fascinated with her pregnancy. Every small change he saw in her inspired him to create painting after painting to capture her very essence.

The more her belly grew, the more his heart began to beat with renewed life. Inside that growing abdomen was his child—his _baby_.

Progeny was something unreachable and undesirable for tools such as himself. ROOT Agents did not procreate, and Sai understood why. Before Sakura, and before the baby, the mission was without hindrance or question.

Now, Sai would abandon the mission in a heartbeat for his wife and child. Bonds were just that, and some bonds were unbreakable.

He had read every book he could get his hands on about women's health and pregnancy. His mind slowly began to develop a constant fear for his wife's life. Sakura had told him that she had lost her own mother to childbirth, as the process could be fatal for some women.

He had only just found her. He would never be able to lose her.

She assured him constantly that she would not leave him, or their child. She loved them both too much for that, she said. Each time he shared his fear, she would only place his hands over her belly and reaffirm that she had two reasons to live.

Their baby son would kick within her at her words, as if confirming to his father that she was right. Love, like he didn't know was possible, burst in his body with every tiny vibration their son sent through his mother. Sakura even let him use her stethoscope to listen to his beautiful heartbeat as well. Determination was always quick to follow. He would do everything in his power to make sure Sakura was comfortable, well rested, and properly nourished.

She was killing herself with this medical fellowship. Tsunade was not going easy on her due to her pregnancy, and Sai could feel resentment bubbling in his chest. He voiced his discontent with his wife, who only chastised him for complaining.

"This fellowship is serious," Sakura said one night. "I'm the youngest Fellow in the history of the institution and I need Tsunade to push me this hard so I can finish as planned. I can handle it Sai, so don't feel angry on my behalf."

Sai was having a difficult time trusting her judgment. She was currently sitting back against the bed with three books spread out before her, and a notepad precariously perched atop her rounded abdomen. That couldn't be good for her back.

Before she could protest, he had slid in behind her and molded her back to his front and leaned back. Sakura's back conformed to him comfortably as she relaxed herself, notebook in hand.

She chuckled before saying "At least you make a comfortable chair."

He kissed her base of her neck and raised his arms against the sides of her belly. The baby was very active. He could feel the pushing and kicking, some more powerful than he expected. He was amazed his wife wasn't flinching at the internal chaos.

One powerful kick into her ribs made her jolt and drop the notebook.

"He has definitely got a strong pair of legs," she mused, massaging the area. Sai closed the rest of her books with his legs and kicked them off the bed.

"He wants to sleep," he said matter-of-factly. "In order for him to rest, you need to rest. It's almost midnight and you need to get up early."

Sakura sighed, knowing he was right. She smiled as Sai's hands roamed over her belly. It was a comforting gesture and very relaxing.

"The stars are out tonight," Sai noted. Sakura tilted her head against his chest to the side to gaze at the night's sky. Kyoto had some of the clearest skies, free from the numerous city lights in more metropolitan areas. One could truly appreciate the night's sky and brilliant stars.

A few minutes of watching the sky had the baby calmed down. This happened often, so Sakura made it a point to keep her eyes on the skies at night.

"He likes the sky," she whispered. Sai kissed her cheek as his hands continued their ministrations on her belly.

"He seems to calm down when you look at it," he said. "Does that mean anything?"

She smiled. "It means he's precious." She put her hands over his and roamed her belly together. "I can't wait to meet him," she said before turning to her side in his lap. "I have an idea."

"What?"

"Let's pick a name."

He looked startled by that suggestion. "A name?"

She nodded. "He'll be here soon. He's going to need a name, and a good one at that."

Sai was at a loss. This was something he had never thought to consider. Naming a child was a completely foreign concept to him. He never really named his art work until Sakura encouraged him too, but when it came to a person he was lost. He didn't even have a name himself. "Sai" was just a name he decided to keep since that was how Sakura knew him.

He had read about this in the baby books. Names often required much thought about meaning and dedication. The right name had to be chosen. It was the first piece of identity given to all at birth. His son would be depending on them for that. It would be the first gift given to his baby as a father.

"Sai," Sakura said when he had zoned out. "Are you alright?" she asked, placing her hand on his cheek. He snapped out of his thoughts and focused on her worried face.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Do we have to name him now?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I just think it's time we start tossing around ideas. I love this baby so much, because he's a part of me and you. A name would make him seem that much closer to us."

Sai considered that for a moment before internally agreeing with her. Once they named him, he would have his first piece of identity; an identity that marked their claim on him as their son. Sai was once again witnessing the endless depth of human bonds. Their son wasn't even born, yet Sai would do anything for him without a second thought.

Sakura looked up and saw his intense expression. He snapped out of it when she put her hand on his cheek. "It's not something you have to kill yourself over," she said chuckling.

Sai relaxed his face and held her tighter against him, careful not to hold too tight. He kissed her forehead and suggested that she get some rest. She had studied enough for the night. Her fatigue didn't allow her to argue, so they settled in for the night and decided to put the name on hold.

Sai had some thinking to do about that. He couldn't let his son down.

* * *

**Sunagakure Medical Center: **

The twenty-third day of July was warm and breezy when Sakura's contractions began.

Sai knew that childbirth was not to be taken lightly, yet no amount of literature he read could prepare him for what she would have to endure. Seeing her in so much pain was killing him. Knowing there was nothing he could do about it was worse.

Sakura had been in labor for hours. Each hour was progressively worse. It got to the point where he was considering knocking her out just so she could labor in peace. It was nearing midnight when Tsunade had declared that it was time for her to push.

Sakura turned to him and through it all, gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't leave me," he pleaded as he grasped onto her hand. She held on tight and leaned into kiss him.

"Never," she said before another wave of muscle tearing pain shot through her body.

"Push Sakura," Tsunade ordered. Shizune stood by Sakura's side, ready to assist.

Sakura garnered her strength and pushed with everything she had, screaming her lungs out in the process. She could do this. She was ready to meet her baby.

"You can do it Sakura," Sai encouraged beside her. Sakura pushed again, procuring more screams. Her body was soaked in sweat and her hair was plastered to her face. She was gripping Sai's hand to the point where she would break it, but he endured it.

"I can see the head," Tsunade said. "One more push and he's out."

Sakura gave that final push before the pressure was finally released. What Sai heard next was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his life.

The cries of his newborn child filled the room.

"A healthy baby boy," Tsunade announced as she held the noisy baby up for them to see. Sakura chuckled and leaned back in sweet relief.

"He's so beautiful," she whispered. Shizune quickly cleaned the baby up and wrapped him in a blanket before handing him over to his mother.

Sakura took her baby into her arms for the first time and fell in love. "Hello my beautiful baby," she whispered, kissing his perfectly proportioned forehead.

He was crying up a storm with his newborn lungs. He had a head of raven hair and dark eyes to match. Sakura's eyes watered as she rocked him in her arms. The gentle swaying slowly calmed the baby, until he was cooing in her arms. He was here. He was finally here.

"Sai, look at him," she said, turning to her husband only to find him watching their baby in wonder.

Sai stared at the tiny baby in her arms. He had no words to describe the feeling in his chest with each breath he took. He couldn't believe he was here.

Slowly, he reached out and gently placed his hand on the baby's head. His soft black hair felt better than the silkiest inks he used for his fine art. His baby was more beautiful than any piece of art her had ever made.

"My child…," he whispered. "My son."

"Our son," Sakura said gently.

Sai looked back into her flushed face and thought his heart might burst. He didn't think it was remotely possible for her to be any more beautiful, or to love her any more than he already did, yet the sight of her cradling his newborn child so tenderly defied that thought.

And with it, he found his lips curving up in one of the first true smiles he ever had. Now he knew what his smiles were missing before: pure joy. Sakura smiled back at him, knowing what a big moment that was for him.

"Our son," he said before taking her face in his hands and kissing her sweetly.

They broke apart and looked down at their wiggly little boy, who was blinking his beautiful little eyes at them.

"What should we call him?" Sakura asked as she kissed her son's cheek. "He's so perfect."

The baby tilted his head back beyond them, making them turn in time to see it.

A shooting star moved across the sky in a flash of white.

Kakashi's words from their first meeting came to mind, and Sai now knew that those words couldn't be truer. His center of balance has shifted to revolve around his baby. His son was his center, his world, and as brilliant as the star coated sky above them.

He looked down at his boy, and he just knew. "Sora."

Sakura looked back at him. "Sora?"

Sai nodded. "His name should be Sora."

She looked back at the sky as a slow smile crept onto her face. It was a fitting name, and Sai couldn't have chosen a better one if he tried.

"Sora…it's perfect," she said looking down at their baby. "Isn't it Sora?" she asked to the cooing infant. When Sora's tiny mouth curved upward, they knew it was.

Sakura looked up at Sai and smiled before shifting Sora in her arms and holding him up for Sai to take. He looked startled by the notion.

"It's okay," she whispered as she handed him over. Sai's arms almost shook as the miniscule weight of the tiny bundle was placed firmly in his hands. "Mind his head," she added as she guided his arm underneath him.

Sai gingerly held Sora close to his chest and gazed at his small face. The baby's eyes blinked up at him sleepily, showing that he had inherited Sai's black irises. His hair was equally as black as his father. His baby resembled him in every way but his complexion. He was happy to see that the healthy glow of his skin was far richer than his own. His plump little cheeks were rosy enough to resemble his mother's hair.

A tiny hand escaped the confines of the swaddle and reached up at him. Sai stared at it in wonder before gently taking hold of it in his much larger one. Sora's little hand reflexively wrapped around his index finger and squeezed as his toothless little mouth opened wide to yawn.

Love washed over his body in ways Sai couldn't handle. This was a bond so powerful and effortless that is shook him to the core. He was amazed at how such a thing was possible.

Sai's vision began to blur before he felt the tear slip past his eyes and down his cheek. Sakura gently placed her hand on his cheek as she wiped her own tears out of her face.

From just outside the room, Tsunade observed the new family quietly, having left earlier to give them some time. She saw the raw emotion coming from Sai and knew—now more than ever—that Sakura was in good hands. No one could hide that kind of love, and the beautiful child in their arms had just become the center of their lives.

She only hoped that Kakashi would pull himself together in time to be a part of it.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: **

Naruto entered Kakashi's office to deliver the message Sai requested of him. His Commander looked like a broken man in the deepest sadness one could know. He held onto the picture frame of Sakura forlornly.

"I'm heading back to Tokyo tonight. But before I go, I have a message from Sai," Naruto said, snapping him out of it. "He said to tell you that you have a grandson. His name is Sora."

Naruto waited until the words sank in before turning to leave. He paused before he reached the door and added "Sakura's waiting for you Sensei. Try not to be too late this time huh?"

He shut the door then, and Kakashi lasted no more than a minute before he got up and left his office.

He hadn't spoken to his daughter since the day she confronted him at his doorstep. But he had followed her relentlessly and stolen glances from afar, simply to satisfy his need to make sure she was safe. Sai was always by her side, and even though Kakashi loathed him for the simple reason of taking his daughter's heart, he was glad to see that he was still protecting her with all the skill and finesse of an elite ANBU Agent.

As Kakashi watched them bond over her growing abdomen, his fear increased.

The pain of losing Rin was still great, and Kakashi knew that if he lost Sakura the same way, he would never be able to live with himself for treating her the way he had. When he made it to the hospital, he marched straight toward her room and paused at the entry.

His heart began to beat again when he saw that she was okay. She was more than that. She was even more beautiful than he could remember her being. Her eyes sparkled with joy… and they were looking down at the small bundle in her arms.

She looked up at him then, and when she smiled at him with tears in her eyes, Kakashi knew everything between then was put on hold, if only for this meeting. Sai looked up from his place next to her and nodded. Kakashi was able to see a difference in the young ROOT Agent as well.

"Hi Daddy," Sakura whispered as two tears escaped her eyes. Kakashi slowly approached her bedside and looked down at the child in her arms. "Meet your grandson Sora. Sora," she cooed to the little one. "This is your grandfather," she said before lifting the baby up and into Kakashi's waiting arms.

He held the baby close and gazed upon the face of his grandchild. Though his outward appearance favored his father in every way, Kakashi knew that this tiny baby had come from his daughter, and therefore he was already special.

"Sora," he said as he gazed lovingly at the tiny child. He looked at the baby in wonder, only briefly lamenting at the knowledge that he started out as an eighteen-year-old father before becoming a thirty-seven-year-old _grandfather_.

Sai put his arm around his wife as they watched their son bond with his grandfather for the first time. Sakura's shoulders shook as she reigned in her tears, but to no avail. She was still a hormonal mess and just so happy her father was here that any problems they still had with each other just didn't compare.

Kakashi sat with Sora in the chair next to her bed. Slowly, he freed one hand and took hold of hers. He looked between Sai and Sakura, taking in the sight of how they looked together. He never would have imagined such a pair in the past, but the child in his arms made everything else obsolete for the moment.

From the hall outside the room, Tsunade watched them with content and allowed a small smile to show at the mending family.

And all it took was one special little boy to bring them together.

* * *

Kakashi had tried his hardest to convince Sakura and Sai to move into his home with Sora. He practically begged them to do so for two reasons. One—he missed Sakura terribly, and two—Sai was a CIA Agent with a child. Resignation or not, protocol demanded that the new family be kept under strict CIA surveillance for at least three months as a safety measure for their Agents.

But they declined for various reasons. Sakura wanted to stay in their apartment since it was closer to the hospital and much more practical for her.

Sai had numerous other reasons. The news of Sora's birth circulated within the entirety of the CIA as the "Love-child" of the forbidden romance between the Commanders daughter and the ex-ANBU Agent.

So it came as no surprise when Danzo had sent him a message; one that would dictate every move he made from now on.

"_Congratulations on the birth of your greatest weakness. I assume you'll want to protect it as much as you protected your first weakness against your better judgment. Be prepared to receive new orders… or be prepared to lose both of them. "_

Sai couldn't find it in himself to rest; not after that threat.

Danzo had him right where he wanted him. The arrangement was simple. Sai would still do odd assignments for ROOT, without the Agency's knowledge. Since the Orochimaru investigation had come to a close, Danzo had missed his opportunity to strike. Sakura was no longer an ordered hit against Kakashi… but now she had become a heavy liability for Sai.

He knew it as only a matter of time until Danzo tried to take control again. Sai was far too valuable as an operative to simply be set free. The only way to make him comply was to threaten his family. There was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't turn to anyone in the CIA without risking harm to Sakura or Sora. Danzo would be watching him like a hawk as it was. No, he couldn't risk it. He would keep up this double life as long as he could and take comfort that Naruto had agreed to watch out for his family should anything happen to him.

Sai knew Naruto wasn't the only one that would do so either. Sakura had requested Tenten and Neji Hyuga to be Sora's godparents. They gladly accepted the honor, and Sai was grateful that they were also two highly skilled CIA operatives he could count on to be there for her should anything ever happen.

For now, he was content to just sit by Sora's crib and watch his infant son sleep. The slight rise and fall of his tiny chest was the most comforting sight he had ever seen in his life.

He was in complete awe of his child. He never knew how it was possible to feel such attachment to another human being until he met Sakura. Once he knew what it meant to love her, he thought that it was impossible to love any greater than that.

But as he looked down at their baby, he knew that there could be no greater love than the one they both had for their child.

So many things had fallen into greater perspective since Sora's birth. For one thing, it gave him a heavy sense of understanding for Kakashi. He surely felt the same deep love for Sakura as Sai did for Sora. The overwhelming need to protect one's child was powerful indeed, and given Kakashi's dangerous life, the need to protect intensified.

When he thought back to his original assignment from Danzo, Sai felt like vomiting. If he hadn't succumbed to Sakura's love, he would have killed her and destroyed Kakashi on the deepest level there was.

And Danzo knew that. It's what he wanted.

For as much as he claimed love was weakness in life, Danzo certainly knew how powerful it was to use it in his favor to destroy his enemies. Kakashi was still unaware of Danzo's plot to overthrow him by killing Sakura. The deepest sense of revolt for his former self was constantly in the back of Sai's mind. To think that he might have killed Sakura was beyond comprehension now, though he would have done it in a heartbeat in the beginning.

If he had, he wouldn't have his beautiful baby boy today.

Sora stirred in his sleep. Sai didn't want him to wake his mother again since she had just fed him and finally gone back to sleep. He carefully picked him up and held him against his chest. He gently rocked him and pat his back to sooth him. Sora calmed down immediately and stopped his fussing.

Sai let his finger delicately graze the softness of Sora's cheek. His son was so innocent and delicate. The rosy color of his cheeks reminded Sai that _his_ blood ran through his baby's veins. Sakura's blood was also a part of Sora, and the knowledge only added to the fullness of his heart.

Sai decided to hold him for the remainder of the night. He sat in the rocking chair, careful not to make any noise to wake Sakura, and felt the most peace he had ever felt in his life. He kissed his son's forehead lightly and smiled.

From her place in their bed, Sakura smiled at her two boys before closing her eyes and going back to bed.

* * *

Sai had read on numerous occasions about the joys a new baby can bring to its family.

He never read anything about all the chaos that would ensue.

Sakura was a woman on a mission between her son, husband and career. Sora came first obviously and Tsunade was gracious enough to at least give her two months off from coming into the hospital to work.

That didn't mean she couldn't email her mounds of reports to analyze and diagnose. Numerous case files filled her inbox, all of which she thoroughly analyzed and sent back.

Sai would usually find his wife in bed, breast-feeding Sora with one arm and typing with her other hand. He was more than happy to take Sora so she could rest. His little son did a lot of sleeping, feeding, crying and procuring mounds of foul smelling diapers for the most part. He became proficient in changing his child with record time and accuracy.

The only thing Sai couldn't do was feed him. That's where his mother came in. Sakura didn't have a pump and didn't want one for that matter.

"I'm either glued to a case or asleep," she explained to him one day as she fed the baby. "This is bonding time for us," she said in between a yawn as she smiled down at Sora. Sai nodded in understanding, trusting that if she needed help she'll ask.

True to her words, Sakura kept Sora in her arms for as long as she could. He only slept in the crib at night. She would read her case files as she held him against her chest, patting his back and smoothing out his hair if he fussed. Sometimes she would read the files out loud in a soothing voice, as if she was telling Sora a story rather than working. It was quite amusing for Sai to see his son be soothed by stories of ruptured spleens, severed arteries and pathogenic terminology. But the soft smile his wife had for their boy as she kissed his cheek enthralled him more than the one she had for joy.

Infants demanded much from their mothers. Their every need was centered on her, and nothing appeared to comfort them more than to be in the arms of the woman who brought them into this world. The bond between mother and baby was a strong one indeed, and Sai was once again fascinated by his wife and child.

Sakura was a strong woman both physically and mentally. Her mind was sharp and intuitive, and he'd been on the receiving end of her physical strength enough times to know that it was way above average. But she had never looked more delicate than when she was holding their son.

Sora enjoyed his mother's embrace over his father's more often than not. He would squirm much sooner if not held by Sakura, and Sai thought that perhaps it was because Sakura was soft and warm where he was firm and rigid. Sai felt pretty useless as a father since all of Sora's immediate needs came from Sakura.

"Does he not like me?" Sai asked as Sakura gently bounced their fussy baby in her arms one late night. "He cries often when I hold him."

Sakura looked at him exasperatedly. "Does it look like he likes me any more than you right now?" she asked as Sora wailed uncontrollably. "They all cry and sometimes for no reason at all."

Sora's cries bothered him more than he thought they would. If his son was in pain or troubled, he wanted to help him and make it go away. But Sakura seemed so sure that he was fine and he trusted her judgment over his own.

But he could see that she was very tired. Her gentle rocking wasn't helping and she looked ready to pass out. Sora appeared to be most active at night, just like when he was in her womb.

And just like that, an idea came to him.

He guided her towards the window and opened the curtain. She looked at him confused before she noticed the volume of Sora's cries dropped. Within two minutes, Sora had completely quieted down in her arms.

Sai took him from her and held him so that he could face the window. Sora's wide little eyes looked onto the night's sky, where numerous stars could be seen in the clear Kyoto night. His son blinked as he became mesmerized with the night, cooing softly in content. Sai gently rocked him in his arms and within five more minutes, Sora was completely out.

Sakura looked on wondrously as Sai effectively calmed their baby. "How did you know to do this?"

"He was like this when he was still inside you," he replied. "I thought that perhaps looking at the stars would work again."

She smiled as she took in the sight of her two loves. Sora's peaceful face in his father's strong arms brought her over the edge of her emotions. She was so exhausted between caring for their son and going through mounds of cases over email with Tsunade that it was difficult to find time to enjoy small moments such as these.

Sai looked back at her when he felt her arms wrap around his front as she pressed herself against his back. She rested her cheek against his shoulder blades and closed her eyes.

"You should get some rest," he whispered so he wouldn't wake Sora.

"Not without you," she mumbled.

She was literally falling asleep on her feet. Sai walked to the crib—keeping a hand on Sakura as he did so—and carefully put his son down before taking her into his arms and carrying her to their bed.

She rolled into his embrace and sighed as she pressed herself against him. Sai felt his own weariness take over as he closed his eyes for the night, satisfied that there were things he could do as a father to nurture his son.

It took a few weeks before they got into the swing of caring for a child. Aside from the constant demands of an infant, they also had to get used to the lack of physical intimacy they used to share. Sakura was so tired between Sora and studying that Sai didn't want to pressure her in the least bit for his own desires—however strong they may be.

He was content just to hold her close as she slept and share small kisses whenever they could. Their whole lives revolved around Sora, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

By the time Sora was around two months old he pretty much developed a bit of a schedule for his needs. Sakura certainly picked up on it and surprised Sai one evening by cornering him in their bedroom and blatantly stating that her body had recovered from the delivery, her mind was about to snap from lack of intimacy, and that in a few days she would have to go back to the hospital so he should just take advantage of Sora having his nap and ravage her before she ravaged him.

Needless to say it was a night he would never forget.

* * *

Sai had learned much in the time that he had become a father, and much of it came without the help of parenting literature. Sora was growing up quickly, and his needs constantly changed with it. But each day spent with his little boy was logged into his memory, happily shadowing the knowledge that his life couldn't fully be given to his family.

The ROOT missions inevitably came. They were infrequent, and always coincided with the days Sora would spend time with Kakashi at his home, or when Sakura was home to watch him from work. Danzo always made sure that the baby wouldn't be an issue for him to perform the tasks at hand, reminding Sai once again just how deep in his clutches he really was.

He was always home by evening however. The missions never lasted longer than a day. Danzo didn't want any suspicion drawn to his activities, and Sai knew that being the son-in-law of Kakashi was a major reason for the "consideration". He knew that it was also another layer of protection for his son.

As the grandchild of the CIA Commander, Sora's protection was as iron-clad as it could get. The same could be said for Sakura. Sai knew that Danzo couldn't touch them or else there would be nothing holding Sai back from retaliation. He wouldn't try to kill Sai either, as his skillset as an Agent was far too valuable to lose, and the attention would do him no good. The Agency never let the death of an Agent go without a full investigation. Danzo was smart and pragmatic enough to recognize that but a threat was a threat all the same. Nothing could be taken lightly.

He told Sakura that he needed to go on assignment as a free-lance photographer, which she had always believed was his main source of income, since Sai did take regular photographs to authenticate the lie. That was how he explained his occasional absence.

He became proficient at leading a double life. The moment he was away from his family, he reverted back to the disconnected shell of a person he used to be. His ROOT conditioning enabled him to disengage his inhibitions when needed, but the only difference now was that he had the ability and desire to bring them back.

But time kept going, and before he knew it, Sora was almost a year old.

"Da-da."

Sai smiled down at him. Sora couldn't speak yet, but after a first-word tug of war with Sakura, "Da-da" turned out to be Sora's first real word. "Ma-ma" was soon to follow, among other such babble.

Today Sai was home with Sora while Sakura was off at work. He sat in the living room with his art supplies out as Sora meandered around the blanket next to him. Sai took to his art, making yet another ink print of Sora crawling.

He was never bored watching his son simply be. Every little action he did prompted a strong sense of wonder and pride. Sora would be having his first birthday soon, and Sai couldn't believe how one year had gone by in the blink of an eye. It seemed surreal to know that only three years ago, he went from being alone to having a _family. _

Sora had crawled next to him and tried reaching for the edge of the paper on his table. Sai brought Sora into his lap and held up the current work. "This is an impression of you," he explained to his son, who simply tried grasping the paper with his hands.

Sai handed him the drawing. Sora giggled as he began to chew on the edges as he looked up to his father and smiled. Sai took it out of his mouth, noting the drool on the page before setting it down.

"Art isn't food," he explained when Sora tried to reach for it again. "Let me show you how to make one," he said as he took out a new page and grabbed a pencil. He began to make a new sketch as he held Sora close.

His baby boy stopped his squirming as he became mesmerized with the movement of the black lines across the page. Sai noticed his son's concentration as he began to make the outline of a woman they both loved.

Sakura's face began to take shape in mere minutes. Sora was completely absorbed, not making a single sound or movement, until he began to recognize what his father was drawing. When he saw his mother's face looking back at him, Sora immediately began to reach for it.

"Ma-ma," Sora babbled as Sai handed him the page once more. Sora almost hugged the image, as if waiting for his mother to come out and hold him.

"Your mother isn't in the page," Sai explained. "She'll be home soon."

Sora didn't want to wait as he reached for the page again. He wanted his mother _now_. Sai recognized the signs of crying and thought maybe putting him down for a nap was in order.

Sora went from fussy to wiggly in two seconds flat and knocked over the ink bottle at the edge of the table. The slick black liquid fell right onto the baby's legs and Sai's pants. Since all of his pants were black, he didn't have to worry about stains.

"You are quite the trouble maker little man," Sai said as he held Sora up before him. He bounced him a bit to calm him. His son was messy and needed a bath. Sai put him down on some paper that fell just to get his bearings.

Sora moved, leaving his foot prints behind. He took two steps without Sai's help before falling to his knees. Sai paused as Sora crawled away with his inky legs marking up the paper on the floor.

But just now, he had taken two steps.

His son had inspired him in the most interesting ways. Sora had been crawling for a few weeks and it was only a matter of time until he began to walk. An idea came to mind then as he recalled Sakura lamenting about possibly missing Sora taking his first steps due to her work schedule.

He decided to postpone Sora's bath until later.

* * *

When Sakura came home that night, she wasn't prepared for the floor of their tiny apartment to be covered in paper. Several small smudges could be seen over various areas; some of them had small foot and hand prints.

"Sai?"

"Stay right by the door," Sai shouted from the other room. Sakura was about to do the opposite and run into the room, when she saw the most adorable thing ever.

Sai brought Sora out of the room and placed his inky feet on the paper. He steadied him before letting go. Sora had spotted his mother by the door and smiled before moving his wobbly legs in her direction.

His tiny footprints left a trail behind him as he slowly made his way to her.

Sakura gasped in surprised. "Sora," she whispered, her eyes watering as her baby boy walked to her. She knelt down and held out her hands for him, encouraging him with her voice to come to her.

"Come to Mommy."

Sora wobbled all the way over to her before his tiny legs gave out. He would have fallen on his diapered bottom had it not been for his father's hands catching him from behind. Sai lifted him enough so that he could make the final two steps into his mother's arms.

He watched as Sakura smiled at their son with pride and engulfed him into her arms. The significance of this milestone was evident by the pride he felt in his son's first steps, and the tears of joy in Sakura's eyes. Those very first steps were now a permanent memory for them to keep.

Sakura walked up to him with Sora and kissed him. She smiled at him in the way that still made his heart beat quicker. Their son happily cooed in her arms as his inky feet stained her clean scrubs. Sakura inspected one blackened foot closely.

"Someone needs a bath," she said to their happy boy. Sora smiled up at her as he chewed on his fingers. She kissed his forehead and smiled. "He's getting so big."

"He is still quite small," Sai countered.

"But he's walking now," she lamented. "He's growing up too fast. Slow down will you?" she said to Sora as she kissed his belly, inciting happy giggles.

Sai enjoyed the sounds of Sora's laughter immensely. He liked it more than his cries anyway. Sakura whisked their baby into the bathroom, where she proceeded to give him a bath. Sai watched, enjoying the sounds of Sora's happiness. Sakura had a hard time getting the ink off of his small feet, partly because Sai's ink stained like crazy and also because Sora was very ticklish and constantly wiggled under the scrubby. She looked pointedly at Sai before making him do it. The sweet gesture from earlier was turning into a bath time nightmare. Nothing would get the ink off, and they decided to stop his bath when Sora's skin started to prune.

The ink would gradually come off anyway.

* * *

Over the course of the next few weeks, Sai had come to agree with Sakura in that time really was moving too quickly for his liking. Sora was indeed growing more and more as the days went by. He wanted to make sure that every second he had would be spent with his family.

No matter how happy his wife and son made him, Sai could never ignore the fact that his life as a ROOT Agent didn't promise continuity. The work he did was dangerous, and as skilled as he may be, the fact remained that any day could be his last.

The seal that was implanted onto his tongue by this throat was still there, and always would be. Within the seal was a specialized microchip that would unleash the paralytic poison into his system, killing him instantly. The chip dissolves in the process, essentially leaving no trace of itself.

All it took was one push of a button on Danzo's end.

That was why he vowed to make each day with his family count.

That thought also extended to the CIA. Though he may have been bound by ROOT, Sai had come to care for numerous people with the Agency. The missions as of late had him thinking that something may have been amiss.

He had logged all the information he could within his small black book. Every CIA operative was to keep a missions log, but protocol demanded that the logs were to remain in Agency. Sai had broken that rule by keeping his own personal side notes in a keepsake book he had gotten from his brother long ago. He had kept a variety of his personal notes stored with his artwork as a precaution.

He knew that he would have to act when he had enough information to confront Danzo. That information was slowly but surely gathered within his mind, where it remained without written evidence.

Sai was pulled out of his thoughts by Sora's chuckles. His son mumbled happily in the living room with Sai's art supplies. He scribbled indiscriminately on a blank sheet of paper, giggling at himself whenever the pencil made contact.

"What are you making today little man?" Sai asked as he peered at Sora's scribbles.

Sakura watched from her place on the couch as Sai and his mini-me worked on their art. "Little Man" was probably the one nickname Sai used that wasn't offensive in the least bit, although Sakura thought that "Little Sai" was probably more accurate. In yet another attempt to prove his relation to his father, Sora had taken to art. He was only a year old, but the joy was there. Sai had tried to teach him form, but he was only a baby after all. He couldn't produce much of anything.

Sora was most content to sit in his father's lap and watch him draw. Sakura had never seen such a concentrated look on a child before. She couldn't really blame their son though. When Sai was drawing, his hand moved with expert fluidity and grace that just demanded your attention.

She smiled as she watched them bond. Sai had a particularly soft expression on his face as he drew with their baby in his lap. He probably didn't even realize that he was doing it, but he was clearly the most content to share his love of art with Sora. Sakura would have been content just to watch the two of them like that for hours if she could.

So could Sora, if his little body didn't demand naps throughout the day. He would watch his father draw until he fell asleep. Even then, Sai kept him in his arms, cradling him with one arm while the other continued to draw.

"I think he loves to watch you draw more than watching the stars," Sakura said as she smiled at them. She put her book down and got up before taking Sora from his hold and putting him in his crib.

Sai watched her tuck him in. "I'll be out on assignment tonight," he said when she made her way back. "I should be home before midnight."

She nodded. "Where are you going this time?"

"Okinawa," he replied as he began to pack his art supplies. "It's a landscaping project that needs photographs of the area they wish to build upon."

"Well at least it's not too far from here," she thought. "Sora won't be happy when he realizes you're not here when he wakes up."

He paused his packing and turned his head in the direction of Sora's crib. "What makes you say that?"

Sakura sat next to him and grinned. "Because he loves you. He's always near you now, especially when you're working on your art. I think he's going to be quite the artist when he grows up, just like you."

Sai titled his head as he thought about it. The thought that his son would enjoy art as much as he did was quite pleasing to picture. There was much he could teach as far as technique and structure went.

"How old were you when you first started to draw?"

Sai blinked before focusing on his wife. She was flipping through his drawings, most of which were various impressions of Sora.

"Why do you ask?"

She raised her brow but continued flipping through his work. "I just wanted to know when you started drawing so I could get an idea of when Sora might do it. He does everything like you. He even sleeps like you do now. If it wasn't for the crib he'd roll right out of bed."

Sai simply blinked before gathering his supplies. "I don't remember when I started. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember."

Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eyes. She debated whether or not to ask more about the topic. Sai's past was always an elusive subject. Try as she might, she just couldn't get any information out of him. He said it was because he couldn't remember much and that he grew up without a family. That was all she knew, and it still saddened her to know that he had lived such a lonely life before they met.

She decided to drop the topic and just focus on letting him get ready for work. She didn't want to upset him before he left, and there was always time to talk about it later. Sai's work assignments must have been more difficult that she knew off. There was something about his demeanor when he returned that was difficult to ignore. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it might be exactly.

Sai wasn't very expressive in the physical sense. From day one, his face was molded with an impassivity that could have been the envy of poker players around the world. There wasn't much that could faze him. But as their relationship developed into a more intimate one, she was finally able to notice and appreciate the miniscule changes in his face that gave her a glimpse into his true feelings.

Everything from the first noticeable furrow of his brow when he kissed her for the first time, the small tint of red on his cheeks when he confessed his love to her, the uninhibited slack in his jaw as they made love, to the very first time she had ever seen him shed a tear from his widened eyes when he first held Sora in his arms. It was those minute changes that spoke so loudly to her that his neutral face no longer existed to her.

His eyes told her that there was something on his mind. Sooner or later, she'll get his mouth to tell her what's up.

* * *

It was nearing midnight as Sai made his way home from his latest mission, which was the assassination of the groundskeeper to a cemetery located in Okinawa.

This target wasn't supposed to be any different from any others in the past, yet Sai was unable to stop himself from questioning this particular mission. The target was an older man who appeared to be in his late fifties at best. He was dressed the standard attire for a groundskeeper with a flashlight and a set of keys that clashed together as he walked. Why would Danzo be interested in this man?

He followed the man as he walked through the cemetery, taking care to conceal himself as this particular target appeared to be weary of his environment. He always checked over his shoulder in an almost nervous manner, as if expecting someone to be there. Was it possible he was aware of being followed? Had Sai made his presence known somehow?

When the target kept walking, Sai continued to follow until they reached a more secluded section of the cemetery that was gated. The sound of a cat mewing had the target fidget before looking up at the creature that was perched on the gate. It's luminescent feline eyes looked down at the man in a way that was almost knowing.

The target fished through his keys and opened the gate quickly before shutting it behind him. Sai could see him pick up a shovel that must have been left their earlier before walking deeper into the area.

Sai walked toward to front of the iron gate. The cat jump down gracefully from its perched and watched him approach. It's posture was tense, ready to bolt in the opposite direction if needed. It hissed at him before doing just that.

Sai watched it run into the darkness before turning back to the gate, which he saw was actually the entrance to a private family burial plot. But it was the emblem that was welded onto the front of the gate that made him pause. His eyes widened in recognition of the clan symbol.

It was the red and white fan of the Uchiha family.

The name Uchiha was not foreign to him or the CIA. Itachi Uchiha was one of the best Agent's to ever enter the agency and a legend in his own right. Sai knew for a fact that Danzo feared him.

Why was Danzo after the groundskeeper to this burial site? And more importantly, why did that target have a shovel this late at night? There was only one possible answer.

He silently climbed the gate and ventured further into the site. Right away he could see the problem. The earth over many of the graves was freshly turned and patted down, as if the burial was recent. However the dates on the grave markers were far too old to be new. It didn't appear that there was any recently deceased Uchiha's at this site anymore. The latest date he could find was over one hundred years ago.

The shovel had been put to use for sure. So this target wasn't so innocent after all. Sai's suspicions were confirmed as the sound of digging reached his ears. He turned the corner and saw the target digging into an Uchiha grave.

Sai had already questioned the mission. Before he carried it out, he decided to so something he'd never done before: question the target.

He purposefully stepped on a twig, announcing his presence. The target quickly looked up and nearly fell back in shock.

"S-S-Sasuke Sama!" he stammered. "W-what are you d-doing here!?"

Sai paused at the name. The target continued to fidget as he looked around like a thief caught in the act. "T-this isn't what it looks like!" he said quickly as he tried to hide the shovel, but to no avail. He tripped over the pile of earth he produced and fell on his back.

Sai slowly approached him, which made the target even more fidgety. "Sasuke Sama, forgive me! I had no choice in the matter! I-I would have told you but—"

The target stopped talking when Sai stepped into the moonlight. The old man looked up at his face before realizing that this wasn't who he thought it was. "You're not—"

"An Uchiha," Sai replied. "Uchiha Sasuke. That was who you assumed I was. Does he come here often?"

Sai had heard of the name before. Sasuke Uchiha was the younger brother of Itachi, and as far as the records indicated, he was a civilian who had no ties or knowledge of the CIA. The question now was why would the target expect him to be here, let alone mistake him with Sai?

"Who are you?" the old man asked wearily.

"That is unimportant," Sai replied as he glanced at the disturbed grave. Shisui Uchiha would be spared this injustice. "You will answer my questions now."

The target raked his eyes on his form. Seeing no weapon in sight, his attitude was suddenly less fearful. "Why do I have to—"

Sai pulled his gun out, allowing the moonlight to glimmer off of the barrel before pointing it at his skull.

"Or you will die," he added with the half smile that sent tremors of fear into the target. It was that look that Sai had been weary of seeing, as it was the only thing that could prevent him from fulfilling the mission. Not that the target knew that.

"Please don't kill me!" he shouted. "I'll tell you everything!"

Sai motioned for him to stand. The target got up wearily and brushed the dirt from his clothes. "For what purpose have you been digging up the graves of the Uchiha's?"

"I-I didn't want to!" he answered quickly. "I was forced to do it. I had no choice!"

He assessed the panicked man carefully. "Who forced you?"

"I don't know." When Sai locked the gun, he quickly waved his arms in defense. "I mean I don't know who he is! He wouldn't tell me his name. He's a creepy son of a bitch, that's all I can say."

"Describe him."

"Young," he said right off the bat. "He was his twenties or something. Grey hair with glasses. That's all I have, I swear!"

Sai wasn't expecting that response. There was no one in his immediate recollection that matched that description. If anything, he was expecting the man to describe Danzo.

"Did this man provide you with a reason?"

The target shook his head. "He didn't even tell me his name. Why would he tell me what the hell he wants with the body parts?" He gave a visible shiver then, and it wasn't due to the cold.

"He only wants parts of the body?"

The target nodded. "Yeah. He said taking the whole body was unnecessary. He only needed parts. Hair, teeth, skin… if they still had any," he added, suppressing an upheaval from his gut.

It was clear from his reactions that the target was an unwilling participant in this atrocity. It was another factor to consider for the mission. "Is it only Uchiha samples he wishes to obtain?"

He nodded. "Yes. He was clear about that. He only wanted the Uchiha's. This grave site has been filled to capacity for over a century. No one visits anymore. I think that's why he chose this place."

"And yet you know Uchiha Sasuke, who is a member of the current Uchiha family," he countered. "Explain that."

The targets bowed his head in shame, unable to look him in the eyes.

"Sasuke Sama pays for the maintenance of his family's graves, not only here but in several other locations in the country," he answered. "He would periodically stop by when he was a teenager, but he hasn't visited recently." He looked at Sai carefully. "Y-you look a lot like him actually," he added nervously. "Are you sure you're not a relative?"

Sai sensed the underlying loyalty the target appeared to have for the Uchiha family, which made his actions even more questionable. "How long have you been defiling these graves?"

The target's face fell again in what Sai recognized as remorse. "Six months," he replied shamefully. "I didn't want to, I swear. But that man threatened to kill me if I didn't cooperate. One of the other groundskeepers went missing a while back. He told me the same would happen to me if I didn't keep quiet about it."

Sai furrowed his brow as his thoughts began to rapidly process the information. He knew Danzo had to be involved. This was a mission he assigned under the radar of the Agency. Though he didn't know who the other man was, he suspected that he was in league with the ROOT leader.

With the particular body parts being harvested, it didn't take long to realize that they were after DNA. It was the only possible use that could come from such nondescript parts of the body, and this particular family was in possession of a genetic trait that Sai had only seen once within the borrowed left of his father-in-law: the Sharingan.

The easiest way to get Uchiha DNA wasn't from the living. It was from the deceased. It was the only thing that made sense. It appeared that Danzo not only coveted the position as leader, but also the power behind the Sharingan eye.

And now he was trying to tie loose ends.

The target was still nervous, as he still had a gun pointed right at him. Sai could see the perspiration building on his forehead, and the ashen complexion that came with fear. He didn't want to die, that much was obvious.

But Sai had a mission to complete, as well as a choice to make; finish the mission, or let the target go. It all depended on how much was at stake.

His mind flashed with images of Sakura and Sora then. They were expecting him to return to them… and Sai would do what it took to keep his family safe.

They made the choice for him.

* * *

Sai returned to the apartment as quickly as he could. The information he had learned tonight made the decision to act for him. He had to put a stop to Danzo's plan, and it had to be done soon. Everything was riding on it.

He let the target go. He couldn't find it in himself to kill a man that was forced to do something he didn't want to. Sai instructed him to leave town as soon as possible and told him how to do without leaving evidence of himself. The man was horrified to learn that he was supposed to be killed and felt to his knees in gratefulness for being spared.

He told Sai about the location where he dropped the parts off for the mystery figure to pick up. He was expected to meet him there in two days with the new specimens.

That gave Sai two days to make his move. This was it.

He reached the apartment complex and slowed when he heard Sora's giggles. He turned the corner and looked up at the sound, seeing Sakura holding him and pointing to the sky. His son must have been having some trouble going to sleep tonight.

He simply stood there and stared up at them in wonder. Never in his life had he loved two people as much as Sakura and Sora. The only other person that came close was his brother Shin. He found himself wishing that Shin could have met them, because they would have been his family as well.

Sakura spotted him and smiled. "Look whose home," she said to Sora, who smiled at waved.

"Daddy," he said happily. Sai quickly climbed the stairs, eager to have both of them in his arms as soon as he could.

Sakura put Sora down as Sai reached their floor and let him go. Sora eagerly waddled his way to his father. The smile on his little face reached Sai's heart just as he ran into his waiting arms. Sai held him close and let his emotions take over for a moment. He had never been so overwhelmed in his life.

He kissed Sora's forehead and smiled at his happy face. A child's love was the most unbiased and pure there was. The bond he had with his son was the most precious, because he shared it with Sakura.

She smiled at him as she watched the happy reunion between father and son. "He won't go to bed unless you're home."

Sai walked up to her with Sora in his arms. "What about you?" he asked as he patted Sora's back gently. Sora's eyes began to droop in sleep. Sakura smoothed out his hair and watched in amazement as Sora calmed down, simply by being near his father.

"I'm okay now," she whispered. "I think Sora's beginning to realize that you're not home sometimes. He misses you."

Sai looked down at their sleepy boy. Was it true that Sora missed him? Was he really unable to sleep unless he knew his father was home? He pondered this as they went inside the apartment.

When Sora was under a year old, he always seemed to know when his mother wasn't around. The crying would ensue until she returned to be with him. But now that he was almost two, Sora seemed to be more aware of his father's presence, or lack thereof.

Sai made his way toward Sora's crib and put his now sleeping son down for the night. He covered his body with a blanket and touched his cheek softly. As he gazed at Sora's peaceful face, he thought about what he needed to do about his suspicions regarding Danzo. There was much to plan for before he acted. But would he be able to pull it off?

Sakura put her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Is everything alright?"

He smiled at her, though Sakura could see that it was his usual half smile that held no heart in it. She had come to understand that smile as his standard defense against showing his true feelings. The years spent together were happy, yet there was always a small part of Sakura that wondered if there were any demons of his past that still haunted him. Sai had never been one to bring up any problems or ask her for any kind of help, yet he was always quick to offer her his support for the very same thing.

He was all about her and her needs. But _she_ was all about _him_, and she was determined to show him just how much.

"I am alright," he replied. In truth, he okay for the most part. Though the information he had gathered tonight was unsettling, it still presented him a way out of ROOT. If he eliminated Danzo, he could finally be free of the hold he had over him… and he could also confess the crime to Kakashi and the CIA. They had to know what had been going on without their knowledge. Who was to say that Danzo's plans hadn't branched out to other organizations for his own gain.

There was still the matter of getting in contact with Sasuke Uchiha as well. Sai needed to know his role in this as well, if there was any. He was getting ready to take a mission of his own; one to make sure everything in the CIA and his home was safe. But if he pulled it off, then he could start all over again.

Sakura moved so she could stand before him. She had tired her hardest to make sure that her busy schedule didn't make her overlook his needs or problems. She loved him and wanted him to come to her if he was having any trouble of his own. Taking care of Sora was something they both took on which left them little time for themselves, as much as they tried.

She touched his cheek and stood on her toes to kiss him. It was slow and soft, but enticing enough that his arms automatically brought her closer to him. Her skin was warm from her shower and smelled of cherry blossoms and apples. Sai pushed away the thoughts of the missions and focused on his wife.

He took his time as he guided her to their room and slowly made love to her. Every kiss and caress they shared in each other's arms felt like their first. Sakura lost herself to his touch. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she began to tear up. She gave him as much as he gave her, and felt as though their love was stronger than it had ever been.

Sai held her close as she writhed in his arms. He took his time to appreciate every little thing about her. The way she moved, her moans of pleasure, the feel of her skin, the softness of her body, the grip of her hands in his hair, smell of her hair and the deep green of her clouded eyes; eyes that held his gaze with the love he knew he didn't deserve but took anyway.

He kissed the tears on her cheeks before taking her lips and swallowing her moans, allowing himself to simply be absorbed by her. The only time he ever let his guard down was when he was with her like this, and it wasn't by choice. Sakura was the only one with the ability to crush the barriers to his emotions. She flooded his mind, never letting him think of anything else but her.

Her body recoiled from her release bare moments before he followed. Their breaths mingled as they held each other close and gazed at one another with hooded eyes.

She ran her hands up and down his back, chest and abdomen, still in awe of his physique. Sai was looking at her tenderly, actually smiling in a way she knew was genuine. But she knew there was something that was bothering him.

After a few minutes, she had to know. "Tell me what's wrong," she said as she caressed his cheek. He simply turned on his side and held her closer.

"Nothing is wrong," he insisted. "I'm the happiest I've ever been."

Sakura looked at him skeptically. "You would tell me if something was bothering you, right?"

Her eyes were looking deep into his in a way that still made his heart skip a beat. He must have been letting some of his apprehension show if she was able to notice it. Sakura was a sensitive person when it came to the people she cared for. It was part of what made her such an amazing doctor and mother.

But he would never add his burdens upon her shoulders. There was nothing she could do to help him there, and he never wanted to put her at any risk by knowing anything about it.

What got him through all the missions and secrecy was the knowledge that she and Sora were there for him to come home to. She had already given him so much simply by being by his side. She would never know just how much she meant to him. No matter how many times he would tell her he loved her, he felt it wasn't enough.

Sakura touched his face and looked into his eyes. "I miss you."

He looked at her confused. "I am right here. I just made love to you."

She chuckled and shook her head. "I know, but I still miss you." She smiled at his expression. "You know that I love you… don't you?"

Sai nodded. "I do."

"And that I would do anything for you?"

He looked at her carefully, wondering where she was going with this. "I know."

She looked away and smiled sadly. "Do you really?"

He cupped her cheek and made her face him again. "Have I upset you?"

She shook her head. "No… but sometimes I just get the feeling that there's something on your mind that's upsetting you." His brow furrowed. Before he could respond she added "Is there something you're not telling me?"

He stilled, but shook his head. "I'm not hiding anything from you," he replied, even though the heaviness in his chest at lying to her intensified. "I never meant to make you feel like I was."

She looked at him deeply. "You can trust me you know. If there's something that's on your mind, you can tell me. I'll love you no matter what."

Sai didn't think she would if she knew everything. How could she love someone that was supposed to take her life? How could she possibly understand his former life? He knew she loved him now, but was she capable of such unconditional love? Did such a thing exist?

Sai could admit that he was far too insecure about his place in her life to find out. There was no way he could lose her. He had grown far too selfish to take that chance. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making her as happy as he could, so that she would never have a doubt in her mind about how much he loved her.

It only made the decision to take Danzo down easier. If he put a stop to his operations, the CIA would be free from threat, but Sai would also be able to live his life with Sakura and Sora freely.

He wanted that future more than anything.

"I love you," he finally said. "I love you and Sora more than anything in this world. I never want to lose you. I can't lose you."

She grasped his face in her hands. "You'll never lose us," she whispered. "Why would you ever think you could?"

Her eyes were pleading for him to open up his heart to her. Though he couldn't tell her the main reason of his worries, he could tell her something that was very much true all the same.

"I've never been so content before," he confessed, confusing her. "This is the most I've ever had in my life. You and Sora… sometimes I still can't believe that I have you both."

His arms tightened their hold on her, as if he was afraid she would disappear at any second. "I believe I've become a bit possessive of you and our son. I don't know how I lost my first family…" her eyes widened then. "But I can't lose you as well. I won't."

Sakura felt as though her heart was caving in on itself. Sai _never _mentioned his family except for the few times Sakura had asked about them when they were first getting to know each other. He had never shown any emotion or interest in his past, and she never had any clue how that might have affected him. But hearing him tell her now how much he feared losing another family… how he worried about losing her and their son…

She couldn't handle it.

Her tears rolled down her cheeks before landing on his chest. Sai rolled her on her back, startled at her reaction. Before he could even ask her what was wrong, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

Her arms gripped him tightly against her as he kissed her back. "I'll never leave you," she sobbed. "Please don't ever think I will."

He nodded as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry that I worried you," he said honestly. He leaned in so that their foreheads touched. "I love you."

"I love you," she returned. "More than you can imagine."

He kissed her once more before turning on his side and pulling her up against him again. They savored their embrace, sharing small kisses and touches before the warmth of their bodies and exhaustion evened out their breathing in sleep.

They slept in peace through the night, undisturbed by Sora who also slept peacefully for more than five hours.

It was just around daybreak however that Sora decided he had had enough sleep. Sai opened his eyes slowly as the sounds of Sora rising reached his ears. Sakura stirred as well and met his gaze. He greeted her with a kiss before slowly moving to get up and tend to their son, who had been calling out for Mommy and Daddy for two whole minutes now.

Sai slipped his pants on and stretched as he walked to Sora's crib. Sora was standing up and holding onto the sides of the crib, clad in his pajamas and disheveled bed hair. He reached for his father upon sight.

"Daddy up" he mumbled.

Sai smiled and lifted him out of his crib. "How was your sleep little man?" he asked. Sora babbled happily as Sai lead them back into the bedroom, where Sakura was still trying to fully wake up. She smiled then they entered and rolled in the sheets for some form of decency.

Sai plopped back into bed as Sora dove into his mother's embrace. The sounds of Sora's giggles and Sakura's laughter echoed in his heart, giving it a lightness he had learned to enjoy throughout the years.

Sakura caught his stare and pulled him down next to her. Sora happily snuggled in between his parents as they showered him with love in the early morning. Sai and Sakura decided to spend their rare off day together, taking their time to treasure their son, and their love for each other.

Sai took this day for himself. It was a day he spent truly appreciating the turn his life had taken. He would soon do whatever it took to protect the people he had come to love; people that had saved him from a mere existence, to having a life full of unbreakable bonds.

He was forever grateful for the fate he was bestowed. Because it was only love—in the forms of Sakura and Sora—that had finally woken this sleeper Agent from the nothing he once was.

* * *

**_Two days later…_**

Sakura reached into Sora's crib and picked him up. Her little boy had been fussy for the past hour and nothing she did could calm him down.

"Sora what's wrong?" she asked as she kissed his cheeks. "Do you miss Daddy?"

"Daddy," he whined as he reached into the air, as if expecting his father to be there. Sakura sighed and took him outside the apartment to get some air. The sky was dark blue and clear, which didn't help since Sora enjoyed seeing the stars. He never really liked a blank canvas, both in art and his beloved sky.

"This would be the night there were no stars," she mumbled as she held him close and patted his back. She rocked him against her, wondering where Sai was. He was supposed to be back by now, which worried her.

Sora grabbed onto her shirt. "Momma…Daddy."

"I know," she said gently. "I want him to come home too." Sora loved his father. He was almost two and bonded with Sai more than Sakura at this point. "Look at the moon sweetie," she said pointing to the big shinny circle.

The stars may have been absent for tonight, but the moon was full and just as beautiful. Sora looked up to where she was pointing and finally stopped his fussing. His eyes were transfixed on the glowing moon, taking in its brightness and beauty. Sakura hugged him close, wishing Sai would come home soon. He was supposed to be home hours ago from his work assignment.

"_Don't worry if I'm back later than usual," Sai said as he got ready to leave. "This may take longer than expected." _

_Sakura nodded as she held a sleepy Sora in her arms. "Can you call me if it's going to take longer than that?" _

"_I will," he promised before looking at their son. Sora reached out for him, and Sai couldn't resist taking him from Sakura and holding him close. "I'll return home soon little man." He kissed to top of his head and patted his back. _

_Sora rubbed his cheek against his father's chest as the gentle motion soothed him into closing his eyes. Sai held him until his son had completely fallen asleep, before reaching out with his arm and bringing Sakura close. He kissed her then, catching her off guard. _

_She pulled back and tilted her head. "What's going on?" _

_He simply smiled and brushed her cheek with his thumb. Her emerald eyes looked at him questioningly. "I love you." _

_She smiled back. "I love you too. Be careful and come back soon," she said as she smoothed out Sora's hair. "We'll be waiting for you." _

_Sai nodded before handing Sora back to her. He brushed his son's cheek once more and gave Sakura one more look, before turning around and closing the door behind him. _

Sakura sighed as she checked her watch again. He did say he might be late, but he was also supposed to call if it going to take too long.

"Where is he?" she mumbled. She looked up at the sky with her son, trying to enjoy the view, when a flash of light flew across the sky. The shooting star came suddenly, yet Sora reached out to it desperately, clenching his tiny fingers at the lost light.

"Daddy!" he shouted. "Daddy!"

"No sweetie that's a shooting star," she corrected. "Daddy's not in the sky."

Sora fidgeted even more, reaching for the sky and nearly falling out of her arms. "Daddy! Daddy!" he called out.

Sakura tightened her grip on him, startled by his reaction. She stared at the sky, unsettled by the feeling that surrounded her heart at Sora's pleas. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt that something was very wrong.

It wouldn't be until morning when she found out she was right.

* * *

**_Three years later…_**

"Sora it's almost time to go," Sakura called out from the living room.

Their bags were packed and ready to go. Sakura waited in the foyer of her father's home for her son to come. "We don't want to be late."

The pawing at her ankle had her looking down. She was met with the beady little eyes of Pakkun, one of her father's loyal dogs. The small burly dog was looking at her in a way that was almost pleading. She bent down and sighed before scratching his ears.

"You knew this was coming," she muttered. "Sora and I need to get away from here and start fresh. I can't explain it, but I just feel that this would be best."

Pakkun continued to give her that look, making her feel stupid for talking to a dog but nonetheless helpful in its own way. "I'll miss you though. You always were my favorite pup," she added before he licked her face. She chuckled before pulling away. "Just make sure Daddy uses anything but my shampoo again to give you a bath. You might smell like cherry blossoms, but it also means that I smell like a dog. Can't have that."

"Saying your goodbyes to Pakkun before me?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura looked up at her father, who looked nearly as forlorn as Pakkun. "It's harder when it comes to you," she whispered.

Kakashi assessed her where she stood. She was determined to start over again, and as much as he wanted to keep her with him in Kyoto, he knew that he had no right to.

He always wished he had more in common with his daughter. Other than a knack for martial arts, Kakashi and Sakura had little else to really talk about or bond over. But now, his Sakura was able to connect with him in a way he never wanted her to.

It's been three years since Sai's sudden and mysterious death.

Three years since the CIA discovered his lifeless body on a mission he wasn't supposed to be a part of.

Three years without any answers as to how he died or why.

Three years since he had to endure the painful sight of his heartbroken daughter, grieving over his body in the hospital morgue.

Three years since Sora had to grow up without his father.

As if reading the thoughts in his mind, Sakura's eyes watered before spilling down her cheeks. He took her into his arms and held her tight, not saying anything but just being her strength when she needed him to be.

"Mommy why are you crying?"

They both looked up to the little boy at the top of the stairs. His dark hair and beautifully black eyes looked at her worriedly as he carefully made his way downstairs. Sakura bent down and brought him into a hug.

"I'm just going to miss Grandpa," she answered as she kissed his forehead.

Five-year-old Sora looked at his mother questioningly. "Can Grandpa come with us?" he asked innocently.

Kakashi looked at him fondly. "I wish I could," he said as he knelt down to his level. "But I have to stay here. I'm counting on you to look after Mommy, because you're my ninja man."

Sora pouted, but nodded regardless. Kakashi ruffled his hair affectionately.

Sakura had decided to move to Tokyo. She announced in suddenly, yet Kakashi knew that she had been thinking about it for some time. She reached out to Tenten, who was living in the area, and secured a position at a well-known hospital. She wasn't running from her heartache. She was moving on.

The mystery behind Sai's death still puzzled the CIA. There were so many questions without answers, and that never settled well within the Agency. Kakashi vowed to find those answers, for the sake of his daughter, grandson, and the son-in-law he so deeply underappreciated.

But for now, he just had to bear the heartache of watching his daughter move away and start a fresh. She would be in good care, as there were several trusted Agents ready to receive her in Tokyo. She was still—and always would be—the daughter of the CIA Commander. Some things will never change.

He hugged them both one last time before watching them drive off.

* * *

Sakura and Sora made it to Tokyo much later that day. The car ride was an enjoyable one, with Sora mostly preoccupied with his sketch pad and burning through most of it on the drive.

She was right when she thought he would excel at art.

They spent one week getting acclimated in the new house. It was close by her new job and Sora's new school. Tokyo was a completely different energy compared to Kyoto. There was much to see and keep busy with.

On the morning of their first day or work and school, Sakura and Sora woke up and got ready as quickly as they could.

She dropped her baby off at his new school and hoped that he would have a good first day at Konoha Leaf Academy.

"Have a good day! Mommy loves you!" she shouted. Sora smiled and waved goodbye before she drove to her new hospital, lost in thought about how her life was beginning anew. The happy times with Sai were beginning to feel like a wonderful dream, tucked away in her past.

She parked her car and walked up to the prestigious looking institution that was known as Konoha Medical Center.

Each step she took to her new hospital seemed to take her one step farther away from her beautiful dream life with Sai. This was a new day for a new life. It was time for her heart to wake up from its three-year sleep and start a new destiny.

Dr. Sakura Haruno walked to the reception desk of her new boss.

The woman nodded before pressing a button on her desk phone. "Mr. Uchiha, Dr. Haruno is here."

The deep voice of her new boss responded promptly. "Send her in."

Sakura nodded to the woman before walking towards the double doors of the office. She took a deep breath, and went inside.

Her new life started now.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Some of you may have a few questions about how this ended. Feel free to PM me for that, but after almost one year and 72 pages of mayhem I'm just going to thank you for reading it and finishing.

I hope you enjoyed reading this epic length one-shot prequel to "To Love and to Love Again". Thanks for bearing through the length. Seriously I couldn't stop writing stuff.

Reviews are appreciated. Check out my profile for future projects.


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